Blood In The Cut
by SugarRides
Summary: After recovering from a badly broken relationship, Elena Madonna has sworn off men and their troublesome charms, finding solace in the simple life she has created for herself. That is until a mysterious Dio Brando enters her life, aiming to shatter her carefully constructed illusion as he attempts to solve the puzzle of a woman who can resist him.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: You thought you were going to be getting an update to a different story, but it was me, Dio! Silly memes aside this fic just kinda popped into my head while working on another story and it just absolutely REFUSED to leave me alone until I wrote something for it.**_

 _ **Sooo to give fair warning this is a slight AU to the Jojo timeline but I'm going off of what took place at the end of Stardust Crusaders. So after Dio's destruction he was resurrected (through means you'll witness in this story) to establish himself comfortably in the world of the late 2000s.**_

 _ **Also HUGE thank you to freakxwannaxbe on tumblr for making such a delicious cover photo. For reals, when she sent it to me I died from fangirl happiness! She's also taking commissions at the moment! Please go and support her and her beautiful artwork!**_

Elena sighed tiredly as she flashed her ID at Midnight Rain's bouncer, already feeling the stirring of a headache from the new clubs thumping music. With an approving nod at the ID and a quick once over of her attire, the bouncer released the clip of the velvet barrier blocking her path, allowing Elena entry though a pair of black doors.

Elena coughed quietly as she entered the club's preview room, attempting to clear her throat as she observed a large glass window showcasing all the bustling activity of the club inside. The bright colors of neon blue and pink shined down in flashes on the fully packed dance floor, the bar withholding a continuous moving mass of people as they hurriedly prepared drinks for their patrons.

Attempting to shake the smell of old and tired smoke machines from her senses Elena hesitated on entering through the final pair of black doors to the main floor.

Just thirty minutes ago, she had received a tear filled call from her friend Olani, whom had been doing her nightly ritual of sharing a murky blue drink with an attractive stranger, only to find that her catch of the night had ditched her.

While Elena didn't hear exactly what had happened through the phone Olani had made it clear that she didn't want to be at the hottest place in town all alone. While Elena had initially planned on blowing off her best friend in favor of sleep she ended up not being able to refuse her. Whether it was her sensitivity to Olani's influence or her own guilty conscious if she refused to answer Olani's call Elena couldn't decide, as it had been this way since their college days.

Olani's unlucky in love streak had kept Elena relatively busy during the evenings when she should have been studying. Their difference in bad habits ending with Olani dropping her initial major in Social Sciences and Humanities to become a beautician while Elena finished up her double major in English and Journalism with sub par grades, landing her the gig of editor's assistant.

Elena frowned as she tossed thoughts of the past and her own weakness of refusal to the back of her mind. She was here now, regardless of what brought her there.

Slipping though the final set of black doors Elena weaved her way through a sea of people, making her way to the corner of the bar where she could get a better scouting point for Olani. Elena knew full well that her oldest friend would be scoring drinks, it was practically a ritual for Olani to attempt to nurse her wounded heart with the heat of alcohol.

Just as she caught a glimpse of the raven-haired beauty knocking back a shot of green liquid, Elena felt a large hand grasp around the whole of her wrist. Startled by the contact, Elena whirled around, silver blonde hair whipping past her shoulders as she looked upon her attention seeker.

The owner of said hand belonged to a towering giant of a man that Elena estimated must have at least been well over six feet tall, making her shrink back instinctively at his size. With dexterous fingers the man slipped something between her knuckles before flashing her a knowing smirk, his amber eyes giving off a peculiar glow in the flashing lights of the club.

Withdrawing his touch the stranger leaned forward, causing Elena to stiffen, before a sultry voice rumbled deeply in her ear.

"A pair of flaming shots, booth eight if you please."

Then faster than Elena could blink he was turned around, giving her a clear view of his well-groomed blonde locks. Disturbed by the interaction Elena looked down at her hand to find a crisp twenty dollar bill stuffed into it.

"Excuse me sir, but I don't work here." Elena called out after him and quickly became frustrated as he seemingly ignored her. Trusting in her softball league days Elena rummaged through her purse for her chapstick and then, without thinking, pitched the plastic tube at the back of the man's head.

The curve of the throw had been executed perfectly and Elena knew that the chapstick was sure to hit its mark but was surprised to see the man catch the object with his hand a good few inches from where she had thrown it. Confused at what had just occurred, Elena attempted to compose herself as the man turned around, fixing her with an intense gaze that began to make her feel small as he approached her.

Standing a safe distance apart, the man extended his hand forward, her chapstick practically a thimble in his giant hands.

"I believe you dropped this." He said smoothly though his eyes betrayed a hint of amusement as Elena hastily extended her own hand and quickly returned his money while retrieving her chapstick.

"I don't work here." Elena stated plainly averting his gaze as she tucked her chapstick back inside her purse.

The man tilted his head to the side, feigning confusion as he slid his eyes up and down her body and Elena felt her face heat up. While she hadn't tried too hard to dress up she was quickly made aware that her attire looked similar to the female bartenders making their rounds.

"I see, I misunderstood." He said finally, before brushing past her to the corner of the bar, the crisp edges of his maroon suit seemingly out of place in the club's environment. "Steven, this woman could use a drink; be sure to memorize her face as I'll be adding her expenses onto my tab."

"O-of course, right away Mr. Brando. " Steven said nervously and Elena's eyes widened in shock. Quickly she approached the supposed Mr. Brando as she gently placed her hand on his arm, giving him pause enough to look at her.

"You don't have to do that, sir." Elena said, her stomach swirling uneasily at the thought of a complete stranger buying her drinks for the night. Especially not after she had shamelessly thrown something at his head in order to get his attention.

"Consider it an apology for my mistake earlier. If you choose to accept it I'll consider forgiving you for your earlier transgression." He replied, amber orbs sliding to the side of his eyes to fully take in Elena's image.

Unsettled by the clarity of the reflection of herself in Mr. Brando's eyes Elena swallowed thickly as she tried to focus on anywhere else but his face, shame burning her ears.

"Sorry…about that." Elena said wishing that her face would halt its progression of pointing out her embarrassment.

"Your apology falls on deaf ears, my dear." Mr. Brando practically purred unsettling Elena even more by his strange attitude as she looked back at him.

His expression was rather mischievous, as if he seemed to know something she didn't and Elena took a step back to further study him. Despite calling him 'sir' earlier Mr. Brando looked rather young, if Elena had to pin a guess on his age she would assume that he was no older than her, perhaps twenty three or twenty five at the very most.

As she contemplated what to say she inadvertently found her eyes drawn to the bone structure of his face. It was squared and slightly angled making him look rather attractive paired with his intense eyes and light hair and quickly Elena turned her attention to the bartender, only to find him inspecting her form curiously.

"If you encounter another bartender other than Steven, show them this card, they'll know what it means." Mr. Brando explained before taking a seat at the bar and extending his hand to her, a plain black card with golden script nestled between his fingers.

Accepting the card, Elena tucked it inside her purse, glimpsing the name Dio Brando over it before turning her attention to the man she now assumed was Dio.

"Thank you." Elena said tucking a stray piece of nearly white hair behind her ear as Dio quirked an eyebrow at her.

"What'll it be then? Hm?" he asked inquisitively and Elena swallowed hard before ordering herself a shot of lemon drop.

"While I appreciate your offer to buy my drinks, I did come here to meet up with a friend of mine." Elena explained as Steven set to work on crafting her shot which she suddenly wished he could make faster.

Dio didn't look perturbed by her words only simply nodded as he rested his hand against his chin, looking deep in thought.

"Perhaps, I have imposed on enough of your time, enjoy your evening." Dio said, getting up from his seated position only to observe Elena knock back the sour shot before a blush rapidly stained her face.

"You too." Elena responded, grateful that she was no longer needed as she turned to look past Dio's now retreating figure to see Olani staring at her with wide eyes. She opened her mouth to yell something that Elena couldn't quite hear over the music but she could at least read two words that came off of her friend's lips .

"Lucky you."


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: Alright chapter two is up! I didn't expect to bust this one out so fast but I have a lot of ideas involving these characters and I really just wanted to get things set up for them…for a more intimate setting in the next chapter! Anyway, I know this story isn't much right now but I'm just dying to know what you think and I really hope you'll enjoy this chapter!**_

"Oh girl, you look like you could use one of these!" Olani chirped as she slid over an ice cold drink, condensation forming around the glass, leaving a wet trail in its path to Elena's hand.

"Well, now I'm happy that I took a cab here." Elena said as Olani gave her a pearly white smile, the contrast against her sun-kissed skin making her smile appear even more brilliant.

"I would say I'd make it worth your while but it seems that someone's already beaten me to it." Olani said eyeing Elena mischievously as she stared pointedly at Elena's flushed cheeks.

Feeling self conscious Elena attempted to cool her flaming cheeks with the palm of the hand that had been gripping her icy drink, though she knew it was futile. Normally she didn't drink much in order to avoid being red faced and while she could handle a drink or two her body seemed to naturally reject the stuff.

"He wouldn't take no for an answer." Elena sighed as she took a slow sip of her new drink, surprised when a pleasant citrus flavor played along her tongue.

"No? Mm, he sure is something isn't he?" Olani asked and Elena slid her eyes over to her friend, a little unnerved to see a dreamy look cross her features.

"Um…I guess?"

"You guess? Girl, you don't understand! That guy's been turning heads all night and he's been practically impossible to approach unless you're already in his little pack of women." Olani huffed shooting her a pouty look causing Elena to quirk an eyebrow at her. "I'm sure you've single handedly made all his groupies jealous if not down for a threesome or moresome because he approached you first." Olani continued causing Elena to make a disgusted face at the comment.

While she had to give credit where it was due to Dio's good looks and his polite way of speaking, Elena found herself not as infatuated as Olani seemed to think she should be. As pleasing as it was to hear that she had caught an attractive man's eye Elena felt she had her fill of men, especially after the last one, whom had nearly banished her to the streets.

"Lucky me." Elena said sarcastically, shoving memories of her past back into the deep crevices of her mind, hoping to forget them as Olani rolled her eyes, clearly frustrated with her unenthusiastic response.

"Alright my little prude, I think it's time for you to take another sip of that and dance away that bad attitude of yours. I wanna have fun tonight!" Olani said already getting up from her seat.

"Your wish is my command, but I'm leaving in about an hour or two. I have to be ready for work tomorrow." Elena warned before tossing back a large gulp of her drink, the alcohol combined with fruity undertones burning her throat.

"I'll take it! Now hurry up so we can find some cute hunnies to dance with!" Olani urged and Elena stood from her seat ignoring the uncomfortable heat in her face as she followed her friend to the middle of the dance floor.

Once Olani found an attractive target not to far away from them, she signaled with her eyes for Elena to start dancing. Elena happily obliged, rocking to the beat of the music, shaking her body as Olani moved her body in time with hers, covering up any awkward movements she might have had.

Black and white hair intertwined in a fascinating pattern as the girls whipped their locks across their faces, purposeful smiles gracing their lips. Every so often they shifted their movements as they glided around each other with practiced ease, giving off subtle gestures to the other of when to switch up their moves.

Setting their dance partner trap, Elena was relieved to see that it had worked rather quickly, Olani's intended target had become aware of her seductive movements and had wasted no time in approaching her.

As the beat shifted into a different song Elena was less than surprised to find her own partner's hand politely grasping her waist. Turning to peek at her newly acquired partner she was halted from doing so as a pair of familiar amber eyes observed her intently from the opposite side of the club, three or four women lavishing themselves upon the owner.

Startled to see Dio's watchful gaze follow her in the midst of such attention Elena shook the shiver out of her body, turning herself so she didn't have to face him, or the pack of girls with him, and attempted to bust out the most least embarrassing moves she could.

Now on edge, Elena became disinterested in her partner's looks as she quickly became aware that he was struggling to keep up with her, unable to determine which way she was about to move as his grip on her waist tightened.

Feeling much to warm, no doubt from the rush of alcohol patrolling through her system, Elena watched as Olani shimmied towards her, a knowing smile glued to her face. Elena followed suit as Olani swiveled her hips, portraying an almost birdlike signal that informed her that she had taken a liking to Elena's partner and was requesting a switch.

With well placed steps and a brief twirl Elena found herself in the arms of Olani's old partner who seemed disappointed to loose his island beauty to a fellow dancer. Attempting to make up for it, she slid herself up against him, teasing the length of his body in a show of encouragement for him to touch her as his hands lightly found her hips.

With another, albeit polite, twirl Elena found herself once more looking in Dio's direction and felt her breath lodge itself in her throat, his fiery eyes were still unwavering, staring her down intensely as a pool of uneasiness began to form inside her stomach. Dio tipped his head to the side, his cheek resting against his hand as the blank scowl he wore suddenly titled upward and into a smirk. One of the red club lights flashed across his form eerily, accenting the darker shadows of his face, utterly distracting her before the light quickly retreated to focus on a cage dancer.

Unwilling to return his rude staring Elena changed her angle only to find herself alone on the dance floor, her partner abandoning her in favor of another raven haired girl.

Finding her purpose of wing girl fulfilled Elena opted to take a break, her body already getting tired from showing off such fast movements in high heels.

As Elena made her way through the sea of dancing bodies she almost made it off the dance floor when a large hand snagged her waist. Turning rapidly she was stunned to see none other than her careful observer staring down at her, mirth dancing behind his eyes. With a sharp tilt of his head in the direction of the thriving bodies around them Elena contemplated on accepting his offer, though didn't have much choice in the matter as he twirled her gently allowing some distance between them before pulling her back to him.

Mild discomfort coursed through Elena's veins as unsettling thoughts probed her mind, something about Dio seemed off and his interest in her only further proved her point. A man that was well dressed, well off and commanded attention from everyone in the room with a simple gaze didn't go after girls they'd mistaken as a bar waitress. Something about the way he had first approached her and how his eyes had followed her throughout the night up to this point of them dancing made her chest tighten uncomfortably in confusion.

As a knot of apprehension formed in her stomach Elena's movements reflected her thoughts, becoming stiff and inflexible before a solid tug on her hips had her ass pressed firmly against Dio's lap. With the sway of his hips, Dio corrected her movements and Elena felt warmth build in her face at the powerful motion, embarrassed that she had become so rigid.

Darting her ice blue eyes around the club, Elena attempted to search for Olani as she adjusted to the change in beat once more, only to notice several girls glancing in her direction. Distraught over the curious stares, Elena flitted her gaze around the room more swiftly until she finally found Olani who did nothing but shoot her a well timed wink before returning her attention back to her own partner.

Elena's nerves skyrocketed at the realization that Olani would not come to rescue her from the arm's of her charge and she unintentionally let out a soft sigh as Dio slid his hand up from her hip to smooth around her waist. Figuring she might as well make the most of the rest of her night Elena rocked back against Dio, impressed with his ability to meet her peculiar steps as she shifted into a different moveset.

As they separated to meet each other chest to chest Elena had become thoroughly bewitched with the way Dio was able to cover up her errors in a similar way to Olani. The way his legs were able to step neatly between hers or the way his arms adjusted skillfully to her own, it almost felt like they had been dancing together for years prior to this moment and not just a few minutes ago.

In all of Elena's time following Olani from dance club to dance club she hadn't ever come across someone able to accomplish such a feat. Even Olani struggled to keep up with her at times and it had taken numerous tries when they first started dancing together but Dio…he had done it in a mere matter of seconds.

"You're friend is leaving." Dio commented and the spell between them was broken as a shot of adrenaline raced through Elena's veins. Faltering, Elena surveyed the crowd and was alarmed to find Olani disappearing through the exiting black doors. "You came to meet with her right? Miss…?" Dio asked and Elena was amazed she could even hear him despite the blaring music around them.

Worrying her lip between her teeth Elena shifted her gaze back to Dio who regarded her patiently.

"Elena…my name's Elena." She practically shouted before turning her back on Dio to return to the bar and was only half surprised to see that he had followed her.

"Dio. We didn't get a chance to introduce ourselves earlier. Do you come with a last name by chance Elena?" Dio asked leaning up against the bar as he curiously watched Elena stick the tip of her index finger into her drink.

"Elena Madonna is my full name." Elena explained before pulling her finger out of her drink and looking at her fingernail. Noticing no color change to her nail polish she sipped briefly on her drink only to find no relief from her thirst. Briefly she caught the attention of a passing bartender before requesting a water.

A comfortable silence settled between the two of them as an amber drink that Dio hadn't ordered was placed in front of him along with Elena's water. Dio overlooked the drink, not even bothering to touch it as Elena downed her beverage quickly, relieved as the cool liquid seeped into her bones, chasing away the uncomfortable heat of the alcohol.

"Would you like to leave as well?" Dio hummed into her ear, issuing a suggestive sweet tone that initially startled her before a shiver ran down her spine. She hadn't expected him to get that close to her and if he was implying what she _thought_ he was, she was going to have to find a way to let him down easy.

"I appreciate the offer but I have work tomorrow." Elena replied deciding to just focus on the truth of her refusal as she tilted her water glass to her lips, not sure what kind of reaction to expect from him. Would he blow up? Shrug it off with acceptance and settle on one of the girls that were tailing him? Of perhaps call her an ugly stuck up tramp as was the norm these days.

Dio was silent for a moment before Elena heard him chuckle, drawing her eyes to his face in order to regard him curiously, she realized he looked genuinely amused by her response.

"Then allow me the pleasure of escorting you home." Dio suggested and Elena pursed her lips thoughtfully, weighing the outcome of her decision if she were to accept. While she had to admit something about Dio was definitely different she didn't feel particularly threatened by him and he seemed to respect her refusal towards his advances even if he was surprised by it.

Plucking the cherry off of her abandoned drink Elena popped the fruit into her mouth allowing herself more time to think as she further analyzed him. Dio's posture was relaxed, not tense like most men when asking such a question and his expression was now carefully crafted to look attentive to her answer. She had no doubt that whatever she said this man would embrace it.

Fluttering her eyes to his chest she noticed he didn't wait with bated breath like the many other men that would approach her, instead he was poised carefully reading over her expressions as if she were some kind of intricate puzzle he was trying to figure out.

Curious if he actually was interested in solving her and not seeing much reason to refuse him, Elena accepted.


	3. Chapter 3

**A:N: Yayy I finally have a good grounding for this chapter! I hope it'll prove interesting if not a little...spicy! to read. This is actually what inspired me to commission that awesome picture from freakxwannaxbe on tumblr! I had this scene lodged in my brain for way to long but with the help of a little inspiration from that picture I was able to finish it rather quickly! But anyway, I hope you enjoy! ^-^**

When Dio mentioned that he had a car waiting for him in the back, Elena hadn't realized that he meant he had a limo with a driver waiting, in the back.

Uncomfortable with the soft blue lighting of the vehicle that seemed to paint the mirrored ceiling in stars, Elena focused on making herself as small as possible among the leather seats. She had accepted a ride home but felt like she was in some kind of luxury suite as she absently counted the frivolous glasses chilling in fresh buckets of ice to the opposite side of her.

Once Dio had made himself comfortable beside her, he issued her previously spoken address to the driver who rolled up the back window in order to not further disturb them.

As the car began to move Elena felt thankful that Dio had remained nearly stoic beside her. With soft music that she thought was some type of classical piece began to drift around them she felt herself gradually relax, letting the silence stretch pleasantly between them instead of pressuring themselves into speaking. Curiously she glanced over at him, noticing her attention, Dio slid his eyes over to her and Elena swallowed as their eyes met, unhappy that she had been caught.

"Would you like something to drink?" Dio questioned politely, though despite the tone of suggestion that he used, Elena shook her head.

"No that's alright…I had enough at the bar." Elena replied drawing her eyes down Dio's form.

Taking in the well pressed suit he wore and how nothing was to tight or loose on him Elena noticed it fit him perfectly, no doubt tailored to his figure. While it had been made obvious he was well off, that isn't what interested Elena. Shifting her gaze to eye Dio's hands she scouted each finger, no rings, or more specifically, wedding rings were in sight. Not even a tan line that would hint that he had taken it off prior to arriving at the club.

Despite all this Elena felt confused. Dio was a supposedly a single, affluent, and good looking man so it had been no wonder so many women had been flinging themselves upon him all evening but that thought alone unsettled her.

"Is there a reason you offered me a ride home?" Elena asked, her earlier thoughts of Dio's decision to dance with her reflecting in her mind.

"Not particularly. Why?" Dio asked, his eyes watchful as they observed the woman next to him.

"I'm just surprised is all…" Elena drifted, not entirely sure why she felt the need to know his reasons for being so courteous to her.

"And why is it a surprise?" Dio pressed, tilting his head in question.

"You just seem to have a lot of admirers, kind of a waste that you offered it to me." Elena said before looking Dio directly in the eyes, almost challenging him.

"On the contrary I don't find it to be a waste at all." Dio said his tone light as he met her stare. Seemingly satisfied with his answer Elena shifted her eyes away from him to study the floor of the limo ready to indulge in her own theories to his motives.

"Are you jealous of them?" Dio inquired.

Elena immediately felt herself recoil at the accusation as her eyes shot back to him, to stunned to speak. _Jealous?_ Of drooling over a man hoping he'd throw his attention her way like a bone to a dog? No, she was above that. She had danced with that devil before, fighting tooth and nail for any scrap of affection and receiving nothing. Trying to redirect her thoughts Elena scrambled for something to say.

"Because you wouldn't have to be." His tone was softer now if not a little deeper as his hand glided up Elena's leg resting on the exposed skin of her thigh, just above her stockings.

"I'm not looking for anything like that…right now." Elena said sourly but didn't further resist his touch as curiosity bubbled within her. His hand felt lukewarm and pleasant against her heated thighs and despite shooting him down she couldn't help but wonder where this next step would take them.

"Perhaps I've misread you." Dio said though he didn't remove his palm from her.

Elena glanced at Dio's hand, marveling at how it seemed to swallow the thickness of her leg before studying the curvature of his fingers all the way down to his fingertips. Thoughts of his hands gripping other places other than her thigh started to encapsulate her mind, just the thought of how easily he could ravish her with how long his slender fingers were was enough to make her feel weak in the knees.

Clearing her throat nervously, Elena swatted her aroused thoughts away, driving home the point by crossing her legs, making Dio withdraw himself from her.

Dio would admit to no one but himself that he was intrigued by her reaction. Any other woman would have floundered under such an advancement, moaning ridiculously from a simple touch, making them sway in any direction he desired.

He was quite delighted by the challenge and the puzzle that Elena was proving to be.

Dio leaned forward, catching Elena's unsure expression as she stiffened hesitantly by his progress but didn't deny his closeness. A subject not willing to open up to him immediately was someone worthy of his interest.

As Dio advanced, Elena stiffened, her heartbeat thumping hard against her chest as Dio's hand motioned forward to ensnare the soft tendrils of white hair along her neck, pushing them back further behind her ear causing an involuntary shiver to race up her spine before looking up.

Ice blue met fiery amber and in a swift movement Dio had captured her lips with his own. It wasn't a hesitant kiss like Elena would have expected of two strangers, instead it was rough and hungry, near animal like as his teeth scraped against her bottom lip. Elena's hands threw themselves up between them, lightly pressing against the crushing force of Dio's chest as the hand that had just been sweeping her hair now crushed the strands, pulling her closer to him.

Dio's tongue snaked into her mouth, rubbing purposefully against her own as Elena opened her mouth wider, surrendering herself just a little as she tilted her head to the side. A kiss couldn't hurt, she'd practically be doing herself a disservice not to return it but she wouldn't allow anything more than that, she couldn't afford to.

As Dio continued to dominate her mouth Elena felt his hand release her hair, falling to the back of her neck to cradle her head instead as she felt her thoughts begin to drift.

God, how long had it been since she was kissed like this? Even more so, when was the last time she had been kissed? Unable to remember Elena was pulled from her ruminations as the car took a turn, disrupting them just enough for her to separate herself from him.

Red faced and panting softly Elena attempted to catch her breath, licking her swollen lips absently as she warily eyed Dio who seemed to steadily hold a look of self satisfaction.

Then, free of any shyness or calculated finesse, Dio gripped her thigh, ripping it from its resting position against the seat of the car in order to yank her bodily against him. Surprised but unwilling to resist the magnetic attraction between them Elena welcomed Dio's mouth upon her own, panting every so often between their kisses, which began to grow in intensity as Dio softly bit down on her bottom lip, the sharpness of his canines making her blood sing in her veins.

Dio motioned his hips forward, holding Elena flush against him by seizing her firmly along her thighs as he thumbed the garter that held up her stockings before inching further up to hide beneath the bottom of her dress.

Goosebumps ran along Elena's arms from Dio's chilled touch but was to distracted to care as an impressive hardness pressed against her loins.

Only the sound of a descending zipper pulled Elena out of her haze of lust, snapping her into the reality of being inside a moving vehicle with a man she had only met a few hours ago. Unsure if she even wanted to stop now, the sleeves of her dress became slack as they fell loosely along her shoulders. With her collarbone readily exposed, Dio wasted no time in using his tongue and teeth to bless her paled skin with purple marks before he suddenly bit down into her neck.

A sharp gasp fell from Elena's mouth at the bite as Dio's tongue lightly smoothed over the mark, the sharp sting of it lessening significantly. As her legs began to shake under Dio's ministrations, Elena felt her face flush scarlet as Dio administered another bite further down, much harder than the first before sucking on the bruised skin. Pain mixed with pleasure overrided Elena's senses as she tilted her head backwards in bliss, her prior thoughts abandoning her.

Covering her mouth with her hand Elena desperately tried to keep herself muted, not wishing to unleash a moan as Dio placed a deceptively soft kiss upon her skin before his teeth sank into her once more at the curve of her breast. Closing her eyes in concentration Elena willed herself to remain silent as her chest heaved from her excited breaths, then with a hum of appreciation Dio withdrew his lips from her, a small trickle of blood dripping from the corner of his mouth.

With another turn of the car, fear of the driver discovering what they were up to began to crash into Elena in waves as Dio's hand shamelessly journeyed further up her dress, making her open her eyes to look at him.

Then inexplicably a different face other than Dio's flashed across the forefront of Elena's mind. Black hair darker than raven's feathers with eyes as splendid as dark chocolate appeared, a cruel smirk forming across their mouth as a hand came up to stroke a dark goatee.

A spiraling feeling of anxiousness and anger entered Elena's bloodstream, she had to stop this before the situation fell completely out of her control, or else she'd end up in the same predicament as she had all those years ago.

"Wait…I-I can't." Elena stuttered as she silently damned the face in her mind's eye to hell for ruining such an enjoyable moment. No matter how good it would feel she knew she couldn't or rather wouldn't get involved any further with Dio. She'd made the mistake of encouraging him but she knew that after getting whatever he wanted from her, he'd just run. Just like they all did. Just like _he_ did.

Reluctantly Elena pulled her arm up between them before patting her hand gently against Dio's chest and watched as he raised an eyebrow at her, as if her gesture thoroughly amused him.

Then the car stopped.

As the dark window for the back began to descend Elena felt adrenaline jolt through her as she scrambled quickly out of Dio's grasp and ungraciously fell to the floor of the limo. Mirth danced heavily in Dio's eyes as he studied the maiden sprawled out awkwardly before his knees before hardening his gaze to listen to his driver.

"We're here, sir."

"Don't bother with the door." Dio said. "I'd like to show miss Madonna out myself."

Then with a subtle nod the driver rolled up the window, and Elena tried to calm herself, not daring to move till she heard the telltale click of the window signaling its finished ascension. Quickly she pulled her sleeves up, zipping the back of her dress neatly before crawling back onto the seat next to Dio whom hadn't addressed her, making her feel exceptionally tense.

"I should go. Thank you for taking me home." Elena said, fumbling with her purse as her hand reached for the door handle, barely being able to push it open with her fried nerves.

Then before she could even fully open the door, Dio's hand covered hers before pulling backward, closing the door with a soft click. Elena shifted her gaze to look at him quizzically only to be surprised as a flash of confusion crossed Dio's features, though it was quickly replaced with an expression that she couldn't quite place.

"Come to Midnight Rain tomorrow." He said, though the way he voiced his words made it seem less like a suggestion and more like a pleasant sounding demand.

"I…don't think I can. I have work." Elena said though she was rather disheartened at her own response. She had nearly broken her rule at the start of this venture, despite holding her best interests at heart. It would be dangerous for her to see him again, no matter how hot the fling would be, she wouldn't be doing her heart any favors.

Dio chuckled quietly, a pleasant sound that started at the back of his throat and seemed to spark every nerve ending in Elena's body

"Then come by when you can, I'd like to see you again." Dio said, his eyes alight with intrusiveness.

"Why?" Elena asked, not entirely understanding why Dio was being so adamant, especially about her of all people.

"Because you interest me."


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: What do you guys think so far? Do you think this is a series I should continue? A lot of information is passed around in this chapter so I hope it doesn't feel too heavy or dense. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!**_

The soft buzzing of a cell phone disturbed the tangled white mass of hair lodged between a series of heavy blankets as a dainty hand erupted from the pile like a scene out of the living dead.

Heart decorated fingernails patted farther away from the source before becoming frustrated as it shifted the nest of blankets to reveal a disheveled Elena.

"It's five in the morning. Who the hell _calls_ at five in the morning?" Elena groaned tiredly as she secured her pesky ringer before squinting at the overly bright screen.

 _Incoming call: Olani Super_

With an aggravated huff Elena quickly slid her finger over the screen before placing it up to her ear.

"Olani it's five a.m." Elena issued as her form of greeting as a careful shuffle was heard on the other end of the line before a soft giggle.

"I know! But you were going to be at work soon anyway!" Olani said excitedly, her words slightly muffled before she giggled again. "But I _have_ to know, is that walking god of a man any good in bed? Oh my god, are you at his house?" Olani continued her words so slurred Elena had trouble deciphering them with her exhausted mind.

"If you're that curious, he's still up for grabs." Elena groaned before leaning back into her pile of pillows, securing her blanket more tightly around her.

"What? No, no honey, I did not just hear you say that! Are you home right now?" Olani asked, the excitement dissipating from her voice.

"Yes I'm at home and no we didn't have sex."

"But I saw you leave with him! You mean to tell me that you willingly got into that fancy limo of his and didn't bother to treat yourself to his piquant physique?"

"Oui." Elena responded dryly. "Anyway how did you know I left with him? I thought you left before me?"

"I was bumming a ride with Cinder, but he wanted to go outside for a smoke first and that's when I saw you. Now quit trying to change the subject! Nothing happened? For real?" Olani questioned disappointment evident in her tone.

"Nothing happened that was worth writing home about…" Elena said her fingertips reaching up to run themselves along the faint sore spots on her neck and trembled as she recalled the lasting impression Dio's lips had on her.

A faint spell of longing ensnared the inside of her thighs as she reminisced how his tongue had traced over the neat bite mark at the swell of her breast before humming against her skin and Elena felt her face begin to warm. Just the memory of feeling Dio's superb body locked between her thighs had been enough to entertain her desire last night, letting his image dominate her if only in her thoughts.

"It's worth writing about to me! Come on girl! I gotta have the details!" Olani expressed excitedly her eagerness back full force as Elena snapped herself out of her own lingering thoughts of Dio.

"We just kissed a little but we stopped before anything could go further. I was at my house so I left."

"He didn't try to see you again?" Olani inquired suspiciously.

"He did…ask to see me again." Elena answered hesitantly covering her face with her hand in lieu of the response she was sure to hear from Olani.

"When?"

"Tonight at Midnight Rain but I turned him down." Elena replied before flinching away from the phone.

"What?!" Olani shouted, disturbing whomever she was with on the other side of the phone, probably Cinder.

"You know how I feel about getting involved with someone. It never ends well." She argued, hoping that it would lessen the lecturing she was about to receive.

"I can't believe I am hearing this right now. How long ago was your last break up? When was the last time you saw Bon Jovi?" Olani demanded, dramatically slurring her words in obvious frustration.

"Three years ago…" Elena said, her throat constricting as the unwanted memory of Bon's face planted itself in her mind.

"I don't get it, after Bon you just shut down." Olani said, completely exasperated. "I always felt bad leaving you by yourself at the club but sometimes I'd hope some amazing guy would just pop in and you'd find someone new to help you forget about that asshole."

"Olani…"

"I know you're against that kinda stuff and it was mostly just my own wishful thinking, especially in some place like a bar but…I was just really excited to see you leave with that guy. He seemed like such an upgrade from Bon so I thought it meant you were finally moving on and…opening up but…" Olani's voice cracked on the other end of the phone and Elena's heart clenched at the sound.

"Please don't cry." Elena pleaded, feeling worse for even saying anything as soft sobs started to emit from the other side of the phone.

"It's just the alcohol." Olani sniffed and Elena felt guilt embed itself into her chest like knives. "Ugh I'm sorry to be such a mess, I guess I was just tired of you seeing you be a prisoner in your own heart and i-it's selfish of me to even be saying something like that. I'm sorry…" Olani confessed and Elena sighed.

"Don't worry about it. Why don't you try and get some rest? We'll talk later." she offered and with a solemn agreement from Olani, Elena hung up the phone.

After they disconnected Elena looked up at her all to familiar ceiling, turmoil swimming in her veins.

She could understand Olani's feelings. After her break up she had practically disappeared for an entire year, though it had mostly been out of her control.

After an emotionally devastating event of finding not one but three women in her own bed crawling all over the man she loved, Elena took charge of the situation. Screaming, cursing and wishing them all the best in hell as they unharmoniously scrambled out of her apartment.

Once she had recovered from a three day drinking binge Elena broke her lease, sold most of her belongings and moved south.

Her original plan was to move back in with her parents but once she arrived at her childhood home, banking on surprising her folks, she discovered that they didn't even live at that address anymore, hadn't for years.

With no way to track them down and left with the assumption that whatever bond or partnership she previously had with them over, Elena was stuck.

For that entire year Elena struggled to survive, living out of her car and budgeting her remaining savings to eat sparingly, using whatever change she had left to call Olani through a payphone to tell her she was doing fine and was just visiting her overly strict parents.

Elena had done many things she wasn't proud of at that time, using her body in order to steal from amorous and unsuspecting men's wallets, all so she could have a hot meal to tide her over till the next mark. If she was lucky anyway, many times all she would receive for her efforts were bruises and remarks on her worthlessness, falling victim physically and mentally to her target's cruel wishes.

Elena shivered at the unwelcome memories, scrunching up her face in disgust as she recalled her vow to never get so entangled with a man again, no matter how charming.

When she did manage to return to San Francisco, Elena kept her year of desperation a secret from Olani, mostly in fear of the backlash she'd receive. However, it didn't make things easy for her whenever Olani tried to play matchmaker out of concern for Elena's reclusiveness.

Rolling along her apartment floor Elena discarded her heavy comforter as she shivered once more, the cold of the hardwood meeting the soles of her feet.

Sliding her finger along her phone Elena contemplated on how to form a proper response to her friend. She didn't think she could do another disappointed phone call but texting her didn't feel right either.

Making her way forward and leaving her mess of pillows sprawled along the floor she walked into the kitchen aiming for a small coffee pot, the only decoration gracing her counters aside from a small candle warmer.

As she began to brew a pot of coffee Elena replayed Olani's words inside her mind, over and over again.

She was worried about how distant she had become, which was understandable, it probably appeared to her that Elena was refusing to move on. Wasting her younger years by sitting awkwardly at the bar or teaching Olani her old tricks in how to score a man she was interested in, rather than indulge in the full reward herself.

But after being so insatiably chained to someone who lacked the passion to respect and remain faithful to her all Elena was left with was retreat, she had already tried burying her sorrows in other men and the only thing it got her was pain.

However, making Olani understand that, without informing her of the truth, was something she wasn't able to accomplish. No excuse she provided satisfied her for long forcing Elena into a fixed cycle, repeating her wordless woes every few months.

Plucking a mug from the overhead cabinet she poured herself a cup of coffee marveling at the warmth it provided her fingers as she tentatively went in for a sip.

As the warm liquid seeped pleasantly into her vein's Elena maneuvered to the side to exit her kitchen, her eyes glued to her phone when her face suddenly met with the corner of a stray open cabinet.

"Shit!" she cursed; bringing a hand up to cover her mouth at the sharp pain before withdrawing it to see it come back red. As her bottom lip began to swell, blood gushed readily from the wound forcing her to hurriedly set aside her coffee and prep herself over the kitchen sink, attempting to snag a paper towel to press against the injury.

With the towel in place, Elena chanced a look at the open cabinet and noticed that several others had been opened as well though only slightly and at uneven angles. No doubt from her muddled half-asleep wanderings throughout the night looking for a cup to get a glass of water.

With a hiss of pain, Elena retracted the towel to reveal a large red stain upon it then tossed it carelessly into the trash before making a beeline for the bathroom.

Examining herself in the mirror, she inspected her bottom lip, flinching at her careful touch as she took note of the small gash just a few centimeters shy from the center of her mouth. Scowling at her reflection Elena sighed, she had no one but herself to blame, she still wasn't used to this new apartment.

With the cut already starting to close due to the adamant swelling Elena retreated from the bathroom and back into her open kitchen. Reaching into her freezer she snagged one of the several ice packs layered inside before placing it gently to her lip.

Flinching at the sting of the cold Elena retrieved her coffee before approaching a desk made of cardboard, an elaborate desktop computer sitting on top of it. Wiggling the mouse on top of an open notebook that served as her mouse pad Elena skimmed over the sticky notes she stuck to her monitor, refreshing herself on where she had left off in her previous work.

Her email greeted her with a two a.m. time stamp from her editor. Reviewing the mail, she noticed a lengthy attachment. No doubt another assignment that would require her proofreading and a date set in bold that the deadline was set for late next week.

The editor whom she had been diligently shadowing for the past two years made a clear point in her notes that she would be handling the communications and other necessities required for this piece. Her instructions evident that Elena was to read it, submit her time and corrections, resend it and then deliver the final manuscript to publishing for them to continue the process.

Skimming over the open document she took a sip of her coffee only to wince as the heat made contact with her lip.

Reapplying pressure with her ice pack, Elena set to work.

 _ **A:N: Sorry that this is more of an Elena chapter but I thought it would be nice to get some insight to her character ^-^ Also I'm curious if the names are going to bother you guys? I'm trying to stick to the fun band/artists names that circulate in this show that I haven't heard in the anime or manga yet. Such as Elena Gheorge and Madonna being a mix of our main girl and Olani Super being a combination of the lesser known artist named Olani and the 70s band Supertramp and of course Bon Jovi and Cinder(ella)!**_


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: This chapter was a fun challenge to write and I apologize in advance if I got any facts or interpretations wrong regarding a situation that takes place in it. Also, I originally intended this to be much longer but I was unwilling to include a second break so I'm saving it for next weeks chapter! And as always thank you for giving this fic a shot I have really appreciated your feedback! Your words fill me with so much inspiration! Anyway, I hope you enjoy!**

"So slugger, how does the other guy look?" Olani asked, playfulness evident in her tone as Elena finished strapping on her high heels.

"The cabinet got away unscathed." Elena replied securing the stubborn buckle of her shoe.

It had been about a week since Elena had tangoed with her kitchen cabinet as well as her and Olani's last conversation over the phone.

Only a few days ago, Olani had requested a lunch date to apologize for her emotional drunkenness and reiterated that she would drop the matter of bothering Elena to pursue a love interest. Or at the very least she made a point to stop talking about Dio unprompted.

Olani giggled good naturedly as she finished applying her deep purple eyeshadow, blending it expertly with a brush over the soft lavender and glitter coating her eyelid.

"So what's first on the list, birthday girl?" Elena questioned watching as Olani cleaned the brush thoroughly in her sink before slipping it into a neatly organized makeup bag.

"Well first, I wanna do something about this." She expressed lightly, pointing a freshly polished nail at Elena's hair.

"What's wrong with it?" Elena asked curiously, glancing at herself in the mirror. While her hair wasn't exactly styled it did fall neatly to the lower end of her back, her bangs recently cut to cover the delicate curve of her eyebrows.

"Nothing, I just wanna curl it!" Olani said, pulling out a curling iron from a fancy looking box before plugging it into the wall.

"For what?"

"Just a little bit of wave? I want my best friend looking just as good as I do on my special day! Oh, also I was hoping we could make a pit stop at Tutu's before we go out!" She said testing the heated curler with a light tap to the bar before grabbing a chunk of Elena's hair.

"You mean Granny Delilah?" Elena asked shivering slightly as long, still hot curls fell along her back, chasing away the chill from Olani's bathroom.

"Of course I mean Granny Delilah, I only got one, yeah?"

Elena responded through smiling at her best friend directly through the mirror as Olani worked her trained fingers through the stark white curls, transforming them into fluffy waves.

"She wanted me to stop by to pick up a gift before we hit the club but I also kinda wanted to see if she'll give me another reading." Olani explained before running some type of product through Elena's hair.

"She's still doing the whole fortuneteller thing?"

"'Ae, she mostly just does it for fun but her readings have been pretty accurate lately. The other day the cards told her that I could find love if I just looked hard enough. Then Cinder stumbled into my life." Olani sighed, her gaze drifting and Elena couldn't help but smile at the ridiculous grin that crossed the girl's features.

"It would appear that fortune favors the bold in your case." she chuckled running her own fingers in her hair, pleased that it still remained soft despite the product. Giving a satisfied once over of her evening outfit, a sleeveless black number, Elena exited the small bathroom, Olani tagging along swiftly behind her.

"Perhaps it does!" Olani agreed snagging her small purse off the worn couch before tossing Elena a dark flattering shawl. Confused Elena caught the article of clothing before shooting Olani a questioning look.

"Don't play dumb, those love bites Mr. Dio gave to you when you were 'just kissing' are still pretty obvious…unless you like showing them off?" Olani teased fanning her neck comically.

"Not a chance." Elena rolled her eyes before securing the shawl around her shoulders rather thankful for the warmth it provided. She hadn't thought to bring a jacket and hadn't anticipated she'd need one finding the unusual drop in temperature, especially for late September, rather strange.

"You ready?" Olani asked fishing her keys out of her purse before motioning toward the door of her apartment.

"As I'll ever be"

…

"Mahalo, Tutu! I love it!" Olani exclaimed hugging a curvy elderly woman before pulling away to jump up and down excitedly, a pink plumeria pendant in her grasp. "I'll treasure it always!"

"You're welcome! A beautiful flower for my beautiful granddaughter!" Granny Delilah praised a beaming smile etching across her wrinkled face before she turned her almond eyes on Elena to give her a wink. "You better keep an eye on this one, eh?"

Elena laughed, charmed by Granny Delilah's friendliness. She had forgotten how much she enjoyed being around the little lady as she hadn't seen her since Olani's graduation from beauty school.

"Oh, oh! I almost forgot to ask, could you read my fortune again? Please, Tutu?" Olani begged her brilliant green eyes practically gleaming in the light of the kitchen as her grandmother withdrew herself to place her hands on her hips.

"I just read it last week! You already met a wonderful guy, yeah? Nah! " Granny Delilah said waving a hand at Olani in a shooing motion before forming her hand to point at Elena. "I will however make an exception for you; Olani gets her cards read all the time."

"Oh no that's okay, I don't really think I have any questions to ask." Elena admitted shaking her head as Granny Delilah nodded accepting her answer.

"How about you ask the one I always ask?" Olani pipped up, her spark hardly diminished at her grandmother's refusal as she turned her eager gaze to Elena.

"What's that?"

"What obstacles must I overcome to find love?" Olani stated dreamily making Elena roll her eyes.

"I'd rather not ask the cards something I'm not interested in. Give me a second…" Elena said before looking to the left thoughtfully as Granny Delilah removed herself to retrieve the reading cards As she pondered about what question was suitable the girls watched as Granny Delilah quickly returned, a pack of cards in her hand as she approached the kitchen table.

Gathering around the wooden dining table the two watched as Granny Delilah smoothed her hands carefully along the wood spreading all her cards in a neat pattern before scrambling them gently. Softly the old woman began to recite a prayer to her guiding spirits and Elena bowed her head respectfully, only speaking once the prayer was over.

"How about…what do I need to focus on right now?" Elena finally asked directing her question toward the mess of cards rather than to Granny Delilah. It seemed like a safe enough question to ask and with any luck it would just say her job or her social life leaving minimal chance for it to address love.

As she began to reach forward Granny Delilah stopped her placing her hand soothingly over Elena's outstretched one.

"Think carefully about your question before you choose a card, then draw only one, the one that calls to you." Granny Delilah warned gently before releasing her hold on Elena.

Drawing her blue eyes downward toward the cards Elena wondered about which one to choose. None of them particularly called out to her…

There.

The card at the edge of the pile covered by several others except for the corner, something about it seemed like the one she should choose.

Scanning over the other cards she found that none of them quite possessed the appeal that the corner of that particularly covered card did and made her choice.

As she tugged it out from its stack, she flipped the card over and felt a stone drop into the pit of her stomach.

The card was reversed but even in its current state Elena could see clear as day a man lying on the ground obviously dead with several swords protruding from his back, much akin to Julius Caesar.

A cold sweat began to break out along Elena's forehead as she tried her best to calm herself; she was no fortuneteller but as far as she knew this card couldn't mean anything good.

Granny Delilah was silent for a moment, her eyes scanning the image thoughtfully before she suddenly began to speak.

"A reversed Ten of Swords card, hm? What this card is potentially proposing is…that an old situation ended very badly in your life."

Looking up from the card, she turned her attention to Elena as if trying to get a gauge on her reaction.

"And that situation has scarred you severely. Those scars, like the thorns of an uncut rose, prick and wound you but you have them so deep-seated within you that you do not even realize that they are still hurting you."

Elena swallowed, her skin crawling at the thought that Granny Delilah might actually know what bad situation had been influencing her life, or more specifically ruled her life from the shadows. It was impossible of course; after all she hadn't seen Granny Delilah since graduation but the knowing way she skimmed over her appearance made her feel uneasy.

"This card is giving you the answer you seek and is suggesting that it is time to focus on that old pain of yours so you can free yourself from it. It will no doubt be difficult as you will be facing such a deep-rooted pain but liberating yourself from it will allow it to pass from your life."

"Geez Tutu! Did you have to give her such a downer of a fortune?" Olani interrupted, huffing in irritation, obviously worried about what such a reading would do for Elena's mood.

Granny Delilah chuckled.

"Nah! It is just a guide Ku'uipo! When Elena asked her question the cards responded by explaining that she is receiving an opportunity to put an end to something so she can begin anew! Just as a snake sheds its skin to become healthy and beautiful so must we shed our past to move onto greater things. The reversed for this card is very good; she has dodged the bullet of misfortune, yeah? Very lucky!" Granny Delilah explained forming an 'Okay' sign with her fingers.

Suddenly Olani's demeanor changed, brightening once more as she slid her eyes slyly to Elena, a taunting hum on her lips.

"I know what you're thinking." Elena cautioned not appreciating the smug look Olani was giving her.

"You do?" Olani asked innocently, batting her long lashes before a loud ringing broke through the quiet calm of Granny Delilah's house.

As the three women jumped at the startling sound Olani quickly rummaged in her tiny red purse to pull out a phone much too big for it, old receipts and a few bits of change falling out of the handbag in the process. Sliding her finger across the top, she shot them a look of apology before exiting the room.

Leaving Elena and Granny Delilah in silence the two gazed at each other curiously before shrugging.

Refocusing their attention to the card-decorated table the women began to quietly shuffle the cards into two neat piles before joining them together. With all the cards in her possession, Granny Delilah returned them to their pack before winking at Elena and retreating into her living room.

"Well, that was Cinder." Olani said dejectedly as she returned to the kitchen, stuffing her phone carelessly back into her purse.

"Is everything alright?" Elena asked.

"Mm, I guess it's not the end of the world but The Grand and Hue are packed!"

"I thought we were going to be at The Grand for most of the night? You had reservations?" Elena questioned, confused at the sudden change of events and Olani let out a groan before her expression sagged to one of misery.

"I did! But the reservation I placed was taken by someone new and I was told it was lost. They offered me a full refund so that isn't a problem but Cinder was there trying to secure a backup table for us when we arrived and of course it's super busy. He even dropped by Hue to see if he could snag a last minute place there but…" Olani drifted looking conflicted, as if unsure whether to be happy at Cinder's actions or displeased with her luck.

"Did he try Midnight Rain?" Elena asked trying to keep regret from entering her tone as Olani shot her a curious look.

"Well…yes but…I know you probably don't want to go there so I dismissed the idea." Olani explained and Elena felt guilt snap at the heels of her heart.

Elena had her reasons for wanting to stay clear of that nightclub especially after she had taken a good look at the elegant card that Dio had slipped her.

Originally, she had thought he was just a regular, or perhaps even a manager that enjoyed Midnight Rain so much he had a special card that served as a tab but to her horror Dio Brando wasn't any of those things.

Aside from Midnight Rain's logo, phone number and address it stated Dio's full name and his position that revealed that he was the _owner_ of Midnight Rain.

Combating all her personal woes of having to return to the nightclub only a week after her steamy encounter with Dio, Elena sighed quietly. A week wasn't nearly long enough to return to the playground of someone she had rejected and pointedly made no effort in trying to see again but for Olani she would suck it up.

"Olani, it's your birthday. I don't have anything against Midnight Rain and if they have the space I say we go! Besides I'm sure Dio's forgotten all about my existence already." Elena said attempting to reassure herself just as much as her best friend.

"Doesn't seem like you've forgotten about him though." Olani teased as Elena stiffened getting ready to argue against Olani's assumptions when the raven haired girl turned her back to her to yell into the living room.

"We're going now Tutu! I love you!"

 **A:N: I did some in depth research regarding tarot but I am far from well versed when it comes to it. The experience stemmed from when I got the card drawn in my own reading and the interpretation was similar to what was told to me when exploring this card (as I heard it was actually a bad card to draw when it was facing upright rather than reversed XD) so I apologize if anything seemed iffy with it! And if you're curious Granny Delilah was based off of the song from Florence + The Machine but as always thank you for reading! ^-^**


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N: Finally back from vacation so I can stretch my writing muscles again!**_

The trip to Midnight Rain had been a quiet one as Olani focused on taking pictures of herself in a variety of flattering poses, or at least the best she could manage in a car, while Elena directed the cab driver to the drop off point, unsure of the club's address.

As the taxi gently pulled up to the curb, hardly anyone had time to react as Olani swung open the car door to suddenly thrust herself outside.

"Cinder! Baby!" Olani cried, startling the driver as the breaks were promptly stepped on, jerking Elena out of her seat.

Elena's eyes followed Olani's retreating figure as the door slammed, watching the young woman jump into the arms of a man that looked vaguely familiar. Raking her eyes up his form Elena came to realize he was the one she had lured during the dance trap before switching with Olani and now she could see the reason as to why.

Cinder, Elena assumed, was definitely a type unique to Olani's tastes. He sported blonde locks that stretched to his chest in a cascade of braids and loose hair while the top strands were drawn back into a messy bun in order to draw attention to his shapely face and well-trimmed beard.

Sighing Elena apologized to the cab driver as she paid the fee, adding a generous tip in hopes of compensating for Olani's reckless behavior before exiting the vehicle.

"Elena! This is Cinder!" Olani practically sang, the sound of bells behind her voice as she proudly presented the man next to her.

"Nice to meet you, Olani talks about you all the time." Elena responded politely extending a friendly hand for him to shake.

"She does?" Cinder asked taking hold of Elena's hand in a firm grip as his eyes drifted to meet Olani's surprised face.

"Elena!"

Elena chuckled at Olani's obvious embarrassment as she struggled to find the appropriate words; it was almost worth it to see her squirm uncomfortably under the gaze of Cinder who seemed rather pleased with the information.

"So, how's the inside look?" Elena asked finally, dropping Cinder's hand in the process as she stepped in to rescue Olani from having to explain her utter infatuation with the man.

"Won't lie, it's getting pretty packed in there. _But_ I did reserve one of those booths; the private lounges were all taken up for the night." Cinder explained before giving Olani an apologetic look, though judging by the sparkle in her eyes Elena knew she was plenty appreciative of what he had done.

"That's perfect for me! I mean, we won't have to travel as far to get to the dance floor and the bar won't be too far away either!" Olani prattled brightly, praising Cinder's efforts as a light blush stained his cheeks.

"Well…" he cleared his throat, visibly happily with Olani's reaction. "After you."

With that the three trotted to the front of the line, scoring a number of agitated looks from various onlookers, as Cinder approached the bouncer making a show of some kind of bracelet that Elena assumed was for them to enter.

As all three of them flashed their ID's, one by one, they were let in. However, when it came time for Elena to show hers the bouncer held up a hand to stop her.

Olani and Cinder waited politely at the door before Elena waved them off turning her attention to the bouncer as the couple exited her field of vision.

"Elena…Madonna…" The bouncer drawled, a thick accent on his tongue as he surveyed Elena's ID before looking at a checklist attached to a large clipboard.

"I don't think I'm on any kind of list." Elena said, confused as to why she had been stopped.

"Rest assured you are. You've been expected." The bouncer replied dryly as he began to briefly write something onto the paper in front of him before gripping the radio at his chest pocket and proceeded to list off a series of numbers, adding a 'code' at the end.

That was an interesting bit of information; perhaps Dio had requested that his bouncers make a note of anyone that shared her name, maybe hoping to catch her during her next visit.

The pressure in Elena's nerves was steadily rising as the bouncer once more scanned her ID before looking over her stiff form. Then with a soft shrug, he returned her ID, raising an eyebrow at her trembling hands before he allowed her passage through the double black doors.

With a sigh of relief, Elena took a moment to compose herself inside the preview room as several bodies chatted happily around her. Observing the room around her then risking a peek inside the club she was surprised to see that it was much more active than it had been last weekend.

The preview room was filled, though not uncomfortably, with patrons waiting on their friends but the main floor of the club was packed, no doubt bordering on double if not triple the usual attendees.

As Elena shifted to go through another set of black doors to the main floor, she was greeted with a faceful of feathers from a passing cage dancer. Sputtering for a moment Elena carefully maneuvered out of the way before letting her eyes scan the room.

She had only attended Midnight Rain twice before, both times were relatively busy but not like tonight, bodies were jam packed into nearly every available booth, even the bar was full of people as a steady stream circulated from the dance floor.

Immediately she found herself grateful that Cinder had been thoughtful enough to reserve a place for them to sit.

Walking down the steps to start towards the bar she was quickly halted as a soft hand slipped into Elena's, startling her. Turning her body in order to defend herself, or at the very least ward off a frisky stranger, she was relieved to find Olani's brilliant smile greeting her.

"Caught you!" she joked and Elena released a nervous laugh as Olani quickly motioned for her to follow.

As they made their way through the crowd Olani gripped onto Cinder's hand, whom had been leading, while Elena trotted swiftly behind, grasping the handle of Olani's purse to allow herself to squeeze through some of the more busy parts of the club before they reached their booth.

A blue neon reserve sign rested along a neatly curved table, purple and silver accents complimenting the black cushioned seats that wrapped around it, the sign quickly flickering off just as each of them took a seat.

Elena was quickly fascinated by that peculiar feature as she studied the now grayed out sign, all in hopes of figuring out how it had sensed their arrival. If it was truly based off sensors and not a well-trained server with a remote, Elena didn't want to have to guess just how expensive the table had been to reserve.

"How about some drinks?" Cinder asked, already flipping through a dark colored menu.

"Maybe some food? Are you hungry?" He questioned as Olani shook her head, delighted at his thoughtfulness and Elena suddenly wished she had asked for more details about this birthday party.

Resting on the opposite side of the table Elena began to wonder if Olani had even invited anyone else. She hadn't bothered to ask if it would just be the three of them all evening or if anyone else was expected to arrive.

Not that she minded being third wheel, it would be perfectly fine just for tonight if it was just a small get-together but Elena would have to play her cards right to remain scarce if the correct mood for the couple set in.

"Or maybe you want your present first?" Cinder practically purred, his voice laced with mischief and Elena made a point to look around the room not wanting to interrupt, eyeing the cage dancers as their fit bodies glowed alluringly in the flashing lights.

An anticipated squeal reached Elena's ears before she chanced a glance in the couple's direction and was surprised to see Olani hold up a pink hair clip. It looked like one of those stereotypical island flowers, perhaps a hibiscus, shaded with white and yellow towards the middle as it sprouted forward into colorful petals, a delicate clip holding it together.

It was a sweet gift, the bright tones would definitely compliment Olani's dark hair and complexion greatly and she seemed to be happy to receive it. So much so that it began to make Elena wonder if she had made her own gift too practical.

Earlier at the apartment, she had given Olani a baking set, complete with cupcake holders and mixing bowls along with a 1950's stylized apron decorated with soft pink polka dots. Olani had been thrilled by it of course but it wasn't exactly something she could use daily, only when the mood struck her to bake.

Pushing the insecure thoughts away Elena stood up before snagging a menu to glance over the drinks.

"Do you guys know what you want? It might be easier for me to just go pick up the drinks than flag down a waiter."

"Are you that antsy to get smashed?" Cinder asked, an unrestrained laugh in his throat.

"Well she might have to be if she's stuck with us two love birds all night." Olani teased, smirking over at Elena good naturedly, though her eyes held a question.

Elena rolled her eyes playfully at Olani before giving a well-timed wink at Cinder. It wouldn't be a bad idea to give them a bit of privacy and judging by Cinder's expression he didn't seem to dislike the idea.

"I'll have a mango tango then." Olani said before turning her large eyes on her date who seemed flustered to have such intense attention for a moment.

"Well…that actually doesn't sound too bad. Make that two." Cinder replied, reluctant to turn his eyes away from her to give a curt nod to Elena.

With a smile Elena turned around and made her way to the bar, grateful to be out of the couples thick presence for a few moments. She hoped that if the drinks took long enough the two would have enough time to get the obvious tension out of their systems without worrying about being observed.

Finding a free space at the end of the bar, she flagged down a familiar face.

"Ah, we meet again! Miss Madonna, was it?" Steven asked, leaning partially across the counter to look at her, all the while running a cloth over a glass.

"Uh…yes." Elena replied, perturbed that Steven even knew her name. Perhaps he had overheard while she had talked with Dio before they had left last week, he had been ordered to remember her face after all.

Suddenly struck with surprise Elena faltered leaving Steven to pick up her lacking end of conversation.

"A shot of lemon drop to start?" He asked patiently.

Snapping back into the reason she was here she quickly shook her head before plastering on a pleasant smile.

"No, um, just two mango tango's this evening."

"Excellent choice, our pink drink is very popular! So one for you and one for Mr. Brando then?" Steven asked already pulling out the necessary ingredients for the beverage.

"No, I won't be drinking tonight. They're for a friend and her boyfriend. It's her birthday." Elena responded, her tone a little more curt as a frown crept across her face.

Taking the hint of dissatisfaction in her voice Steven ceased talking, instead focusing on his task as another patron sat down next to Elena, patiently waiting for their chance to order while lighting a cigar.

As her thoughts bubbled over Elena felt that she hadn't the slightest idea as to why Steven assumed that she would be here specifically for Dio or even with Dio. She could understand he was Steven's boss and that they had left together but the needless assumption was starting to make her uneasy.

People met and left with each other at clubs like these all the time, only to return a few days later to leave with someone else. Having been stopped at the entrance due to her name was enough to make her suspicious of being expected but with how familiar she was being treated due to someone's obvious influence was starting to make her feel uncomfortable.

Perhaps it had been a mistake to come here.

"No drink for yourself, Elena? That's a surprise, Olani must be so disappointed." A voice of velvet commented making Elena's blood instantly freeze in her veins.

She couldn't ever forget that voice, not in a million damnable years.

Slowly she turned her head to the smoking patron beside her, her heart seizing painfully in her chest as her breath quickly lodged itself in her throat.

The darkened eyes of none other than Bon Jovi stared her down, looking more breathtaking and ethereal than Elena had ever seen him.

His black hair was brushed back neatly as if the goddess of night had soothed their careful fingers through it to make it shine as elegantly as the stars.

His lips a soft pink, perfectly plump and expressive as he smirked at her, making her heart unwillingly slam against her ribcage, butterflies beating their wings fervently inside her stomach.

However, his eyes were what really caught her attention, they were no longer a dark brown as she remembered, instead they held more of a rustic gold hue to them, though it could have just been the lighting of the bar.

"May I buy you a drink?" he asked politely, his baritone voice seeming to reach the very depths of her soul as it took nearly everything within her to pull her gaze away from him.

This wasn't good, not good at all.

Fear creeped along Elena's spine, scratching with cold fingernails as an unpleasant burn fueled the fire of hatred within her stomach, or was that lust? Bloodlust perhaps?

Engulfed with inner turmoil, all of Elena's emotions seemed to warp, twisting from one extreme emotion to the next making her unsure as to what she was actually feeling.

She didn't know whether to throw herself onto Bon in earnest and apologize or to punch him in that perfect face of his for the sole desire of seeing him bleed.

Even running in fear felt like a good idea, yet she remained still, as if her limbs had become frozen solid.

"Mmm. three years later and you're still as cold as ever, can't even humor me for old times' sake, hm?" Bon asked more to himself than to her, removing the cigar from his mouth to release sweet smelling blue smoke.

"I have nothing to say to you." Elena said, her voice coming out much softer and timid than she intended.

"Ouch, that stings," he chuckled, a disgustingly charming grin stretching across his face as he shifted to taunt her with his smug expression.

It was obvious her refusal didn't wound him, not in the slightest and Elena felt her stomach began to tighten, her intestines intent on knotting themselves in nervousness as he flashed her a perfect smile.

"Well, that's alright, I have much I'd like to say to you, better that I am not interrupted." He said, extending his hand to brush over Elena's which she pulled away from reluctantly.

It was disturbing, how simple a glance or touch alighted her dormant desire for him, how the familiarity of his voice made her want to give in, to pretend that the past three years had never happened.

Thoughts of her future plagued her, of how possible it was that she could easily leave with him tonight and surrender herself to writhe beneath him once more.

From there it'd snowball and she'd work overtime, get another job if she must to make enough money to satisfy him, relinquish the key to her apartment to him in hopes he'd stay this time.

Then she'd slowly descend into self destruction as she did everything expected of her to make him happy and be well taken care of, all over again.

These thoughts, this vision, frightened her.

It was incredibly terrifying that such thoughts seemed so appealing to her, how willing every part of her wanted to give him yet another chance to hurt her.

She knew how easy it would be to slip into that old comfort, even for just a night. That she wouldn't even have to try as his caress would take her back to those old heights that she had been too afraid to reach herself for so long.

Elena didn't realize she was shaking until Bon's hand soothed her hair and she flinched away in fear.

"For instance, I love what you've done with you hair, Olani's work no doubt." he guessed and Elena couldn't find the strength to make words. She was too afraid to speak, worried of what she would say.

"If I didn't know any better I'd say you're ignoring me, can't even spare me a glance?" Bon said slyly giving her hair a gentle tug at the ends before running his hand down her back slowly, imbedding an indescribable heat in its wake.

Turning her head to look at him, Elena felt the sting of tears threaten her eyes, the vision of her servitude to the man beside her playing over and over in her head. It was something she was desperately hoping to avoid if she had ever crossed paths with him again, but she didn't know if she had the will to refuse Bon of anything.

Why was it so hard to tell him to just leave? To disappear?

After all this time apart, building up all her resolve and perfecting her control, why was she faltering now?

She was well equipped to be resistant to him, to defy his charm, so why?

"Elena, my dear, how lovely it is to see you again," a smooth voice sounded from the opposite side of her and Elena nearly jumped out of her skin, the shawl that covered her shoulders dropping to the floor.

Whipping her head to the side, she was stunned to see Dio standing rather close to her, a pleasant expression on his face.

Elena hardly recognized him outside of a suit, a pair of black slacks and a white, long sleeve button down made up most of his outfit. However, combined with the rolled up sleeves to expose impressive arms, and a few strategically undone buttons, the outfit appeared almost casual.

"D-Dio?" Elena stammered, her breath escaping in relief to see him as he gracefully maneuvered to place himself between her and Bon, whom hadn't yet bothered to react.

Cool and calculated Bon sized up the man next to him, eying him with piqued interest before averting his gaze to take a long drag off his cigar.

Dio hadn't even bothered to look in his direction and much to Elena's surprise Bon resumed his gaze on her, horrid yellow eyes defiantly haunting the edges of her heart.

Reaching up a ring-clad hand Bon began to rub at an absent goatee before catching Elena's eyes on him, making him smirk around his cigar, removing it to cover his expression and exhale more blue smoke.

"I believe we still had much to discuss in the longue, care to join me?" Dio asked just as a heavy hand planted itself on Elena's shoulder, her shawl promptly returned to her shoulders.

"Of course." Elena replied, though she doubted that either of the two men heard her.

With a guiding hand, Dio steered her in the opposite direction before latching his hand firmly around her waist.

Whether it was to send a signal to Bon or not she wasn't sure, but nonetheless she was grateful.

She was safe, at least for now.


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N: Still getting back in the swing of things. Also as a warning this chapter contains spice ;D**_

Entering a private lounge that looked more like it was fit for a king than a club guest Elena found herself standing before a velvet couch adorned in royal colors.

Dio hadn't said a word during the trip there, but Elena had been too distracted with being disappointed in herself to notice much.

Only when he let go of her waist did she realize she was being rude with her silence.

"Um…thank you…for finding me back there." Elena started awkwardly as amber eyes slid to greet hers before she turned away, a knot of apprehension gathering in her throat.

She wasn't ungrateful for him rescuing her from Bon, he probably just single handedly saved her from falling head first back into a life of misery but now she was stuck in another unfortunate situation.

She had planned on avoiding Dio till the end of her existence, hoping enough time would pass by for him to eventually forget about her but with the bouncer's announcement and Steven's assumptions it was obvious to her now that Dio knew exactly when she had arrived. He also more than likely knew that she was avoiding him.

However, his sudden appearance told her that he did not intend to let her escape his grasp easily.

"You know, I hadn't really expected to see you tonight. I came here with Olani to celebrate so I didn't think to look for you…" Elena continued, the excuse falling from her tongue before she could stop it.

"Indeed." Dio said, his voice pulling from the depths of his chest in confirmation.

The tone of voice was enough to make Elena feel weak in the knees as Dio simply smirked at her. Watching her attempt to recover from her fumble, her expression visually scrambling as she attempted to settle on a thought.

"Do you spend all your time here? At this club I mean?" She blurted out and the corner of Dio's mouth twitched in amusement to the question.

"No. You just happened to arrive on a day I was present. You have impeccable timing Elena."

She laughed.

How desperately she wished to say that she felt unlucky running into him. If she had just stated her distaste for this club she wouldn't have even been caught in this terrible web of misfortune.

Having mistakenly tempted fate in hopes of making someone else happy she in return had managed to come across the most dangerously addictive person to her well being as well as come into contact with the one person she had wished to avoid.

The odds most definitely didn't seem to be in her favor.

"I guess," she said, attempting to chase such thoughts from her mind. "The same could be said about you."

"Sit." Dio said as he began to stretch his form out along the couch in front of them and to Elena's surprise he wasn't too big for it. In fact, the couch held him comfortably, the largeness of it being comparable to a twin sized bed rather than a loveseat.

Observing Dio position himself, Elena began to feel her face warm involuntarily; it was as if the tension between them had returned, or rather never left after their encounter in the limo.

Not to mention the vibe he was giving off was practically unbearable.

He lounged casually, like a stunning Greek god displayed before her as he held himself up easily with an arm to lean as he tilted his head to the side to gesture for her to accompany him.

Turning around Elena took a seat on the couch, trying to calm herself as she tried her best not to look directly at him.

Elena would admit to no one but herself that she wasn't immune to Dio's sex appeal but with a swift recalling of her previous meeting with Bon, a painful thumping in her heart served as enough warning to help remedy her titillated thoughts.

"So tell me truthfully Elena, did you actually plan on ever coming back to this place?" Dio asked.

Pins and needles pricked Elena's skin at the question, a rush of uncomfortable heat enveloping her body as she attempted to keep her focus.

It was natural for him to address the obvious, to narrow in on her ghost like behavior since that evening especially after he had requested her to see him again. However, it did nothing to lessen her discomfort at having to explain her actions.

"No." Elena answered honestly.

"Why is that?" Dio asked and Elena gripped the ends of her shawl, feeling a bit defensive.

"I didn't really have a reason."

"You're lying." Dio stated plainly, taking a sip out of a decorated wine glass that Elena didn't even realize he was holding.

Had he always had it and she just didn't notice?

Confused by the oddity Elena shook her head, pulling back her focus to formulate a response before sighing.

"Do you remember me saying how I wasn't interested before? Well I really meant it, I didn't want a fling and I didn't want to start a relationship either so…I apologize that I led you on during that evening you took me home. I guess you could say I was embarrassed by doing the exact opposite of what I had told you so I thought it would be better to avoid you…at least till you forgot about me." Elena explained gluing her eyes to the floor.

The room was silent for a moment, whether Dio was processing her words or if he was simply waiting on further details it prompted Elena to speak once more.

"But like I said before it's really a waste for you to single me out, out of all your prospects, because there's nothing for you to gain by approaching me." Elena said, her tone a little lighter as she looked up at him.

Dio chuckled.

"Despite what you may think, I believe I have very much to gain from you." Dio said, his voice sultry as he sat up a little straighter to put himself closer to her.

Elena took pause at his words, her brain racing to follow what he meant.

As far as she was concerned his sexual and financial bases were covered, between the hordes of women that hung from his arms to the success of this nightclub, what did he think to gain from someone like her?

Elena felt her confidence begin to sink at the idea, perhaps it was a prettily painted lie that she was worth something but the set up for this meeting seemed like too much effort to orchestrate for it to be that way.

Dio wasn't giving away any secrets either, he had said something similar the last time they were together but his responses and body language had been carefully guarded, refusing to reveal his true intentions which kept her guessing.

After all, the only oddity Elena possessed that was worthy of any value was something she knew Dio would know nothing about and it wouldn't serve to benefit him anyway.

"What could you possibly hope to-"

Dio's fingers curled softly around Elena's chin and whatever words she had planned to say died on her lips. Her heart beginning to race under his sudden touch, free of the pain she had been distractedly inflicting upon it in order to remain clear-headed.

"That's quite a cut you've got on that lip of yours." Dio said, swiftly changing the subject.

His thumb smoothed over Elena's bottom lip gently, setting all her nerves alight as she flinched at the contact. Struggling to think coherently enough to respond to him Elena found herself practically frozen under his tantalizing touch while his eyes studied the nearly healed abrasion scarring her lip.

She was almost afraid to breathe lest he move away and despite her former words she couldn't deny the magnetic pull he seemed to possess.

It was almost frightening that her control could be so easily compromised by something so simple, she hardly had enough mental strength to keep it together with Bon and she nearly lost it when he put hands on her. It felt similar with Dio and how easily she melted into his touch with relatively no resistance but it also seemed different, though she would claim it was out of curiosity.

Dio hummed thoughtfully for a moment before cupping the back of her head, locks of white entangling in his fingers before throwing a toned forearm over Elena's legs in order to pull her closer.

"I imagine it's quite painful. I suppose I'll have to be careful about that."

Then he leaned forward, painfully slow as the feather light touch of his lips brushed against her own, not quite a kiss making Elena's breath hitch in anticipation.

Placing a hand forward she laid it upon his chest, appreciating the hardness underneath her small fingers as she pondered whether or not to push him away. He was graciously giving her the option to prove herself through action, probably to determine if she was lying or not.

She had the power to deny him, her hand was in perfect position and with a decent amount of pressure she knew he would withdrawal but this felt like to unfair a test.

After all resisting him would be easy with just a light tap but…did she truly want to refuse him?

The opportunity to have his lips claim hers and the desire to feel him felt incredibly tempting for reasons she couldn't really understand other than her own curiosity.

Besides what would a simple kiss prove? It would be just like before.

Tilting her head to the side, Elena contemplated on accepting his alluring kiss only to pause as she caught movement in her peripheral through the reflection of the small window of the lounge.

Golden brown eyes peered in at them, narrowing when they caught Elena's petrified gaze before a sickening smile twisted along their face.

With a gasp, Elena retreated, turning her head away from Dio's welcoming embrace as her whole body stiffened, the dreadful feeling of ice gripping her heart cruelly as her throat constricted in terror.

Attempting to sooth herself from the disturbing image of Bon in the window Elena reflected on her embarrassingly brash behavior, darting her eyes back to Dio in apology before she realized he wasn't even looking at her. Instead, his fiery gaze was narrowed dangerously toward a figure just outside their room, making Elena's heart seize in panic within her chest.

Then with an inhuman speed that Elena couldn't hope to follow, Dio had secured her chin tightly within his fingers before pressing his lips firmly upon hers. Electricity coursed through her veins from the surprise and before she could conjure up a single coherent thought, Dio's tongue darted forward to lay claim to her mouth. His practiced tongue snapping Elena into a bliss she didn't know she could feel as desire seeped into every inch of her skin like a hungry wild fire.

Balling her fists into the immaculate white button up he wore, she shifted, the inferno in her veins growing to an unbearable intensity before Dio released her. Panting vehemently Elena examined the brilliant amber of Dio's eyes attempting to quickly memorize the subtle difference in hues as brown melded into a rich orange.

Then the haze of _something_ lifted from her mind, and Elena felt sharp clarity click into place.

"I'm sorry I did it again, I-I should go." Elena said turning away from Dio to glance at the window only to see that Bon's figure had disappeared.

"What's the hurry?" Dio asked darkly before darting forward with the reflexes of a cobra to ensnare Elena in yet another kiss, making her nerve endings burn with an unholy desire. Deft fingers trailed from their place around her legs, teasing the end of her kneecap before gliding further down and up her dress to skim across the flesh of her inner thigh.

"Dio…" a breathy half moan was all Elena could manage afraid to relinquish anything more to his ears lest it betray her easily crumbling resolve.

Dio stroked more prominently along her thigh as he twisted her to face the opposite direction eliciting a shiver from Elena before dipping his hand to press his fingers expertly against the cotton of her panties.

As his digits brushed against her clit Elena released a soft gasp that caught in her throat before her mouth clamped shut stubbornly, a firm blush staining her cheeks, afraid voicing anything would make him stop. Dio continued to caress small circles upon her mercilessly forcing Elena to close her eyes in concentration before he thumbed the soft fabric down her legs to run a nimble finger up her slit.

Collecting the dampness between her folds Dio explored her gently, refusing to let up on the sensitive bundle of nerves as his other hand slide from behind her to squeeze her breast lightly through her dress.

Elena was beginning to feel her mind go fuzzy as it swam in a hazy mixture of anticipation and unbridled pleasure, Dio's adept ministrations making it hard to think about anything other than wanting more of his touch.

With a minor shift to spread her legs more comfortably, Elena's panties fell to clasp at her left ankle like a prisoners chain as Dio's breath cooled her ear. Continuing to work his fingers, Dio watched as she curled back against him, her hand covering his to feel the arrangement of his motions as her breathing became more labored.

If she gained nothing from this encounter she would at least attempt to retain the way he moved his fingers for her own personal use later.

"So, who was that looking at us, Elena? I recall seeing him with you at the bar." Dio questioned his voice deep and low as if harboring a warning.

"An old…friend." Elena rasped, her voice hoarse and quiet as she tried not to buck into his hand, leaning back even further against him.

This was the last thing she wanted to be discussing in her current situation.

"Friend or lover?" he interrogated before biting down on the lobe of her ear, soothing it with his tongue while earning himself a nearly silent gasp from Elena.

"He's an ex Lov-lover."

"Do you still hold feelings for him?" Dio asked applying more pressure upon her in a way that nearly pushed Elena over the edge.

"No."

Then without warning Dio paused, halting the buildup of pleasure forming in her lower stomach before dipping lower to tease her opening. Biting down hard on her lip Elena tried her best to keep herself still, unable to keep a grasp on any straw of thought.

"W-we shouldn't do that...here." Elena protested, trying to resist the realization that they were still technically in public as Dio's fingers unexpectedly buried themselves within her in answer. Quickly abolishing her plea, Dio tilted his head to breathe teasingly in her other ear, marveling at how her skin responded to his actions as goosebumps ran up her arms.

"Why not? I own this place after all and your so quiet Elena…to be honest I rather like that you hold back that beguiling voice of yours. It makes me curious as to how long you can withstand this…" he challenged just before he angled his fingers to begin a few simple thrusts, hitting a spot within Elena that made her toes curl in pure ecstasy. How he had found it so easily was beyond her, even she struggled reaching it at times but she didn't have long to dwell on it as her legs began to tremble with the intensity of her impending orgasm.

"Without breaking." Dio continued before chuckling as Elena began to breathe harder.

She was so close now. Between the danger of being discovered by any ill timed visitor, the sensual sensation of Dio's fingers and the way his voice seductively lurked in her ears, it took every ounce of her self-control to not cry out his name as her body tightened around him. Her legs shook unbearably as she reached her release, clenching her teeth in astounding silence as she retracted her hands to grip onto Dio's bare forearms, her nails digging into him in unparalleled satisfaction as she attempted to stay grounded.

Sweat beaded at the top of her forehead as Elena felt the hand that had been clutching her breast reach around to take hold of her chin, turning it to the side so she could look up at the man responsible for wringing out such exquisite pleasure from her.

"Well done." Dio praised.

Then he leaned forward, planting yet another kiss on Elena's eagerly awaiting lips.


	8. Chapter 8

_**A/N: This chapter was a bit more dialogue heavily than I intended, in fact while I was in the middle of writing this chapter I didn't care for where it had originally started so I ended up scrapping it to give the characters a better starting point! x_x Also as a heads up, updates might slow a little as the traffic for this story has dropped, lack of interest and such (which happens, the Jojo fandom often comes in waves for slow burns) so I will be setting this story on the back burner for now so I can dedicate more time to my other fics. But I do hope that you enjoy this chapter~ and as always thanks for taking the time to read it!**_

Elena at this point was close to giving up.

Dio was proving quite the challenge to thwart after his wandering hands pulled her through crashing wave after crashing wave of pleasure, refusing to release her as he challenged Elena's willpower. Which she allowed for nothing other than her own selfish desires as he attempted to explore every inch of bare skin available to him.

It was petty that she chalked this up to a moment of weakness, an excuse she'd use as a crutch to allow this situation to continue but he was just so good with his hands! It was a pleasant surprise considering how many men Elena had been with, not many seemed to know how to appropriately please a woman but Dio, he handled her with a type of experience that made him irresistible.

After her first release, she had attempted to put a stop to the unspoken promise of a fling but Dio had unapologetically pulled her back in, wishing to know exactly what she was so afraid of, all the while refusing to disclose his own reasons for continuing.

Only after the third time did Elena finally pull her senses together enough to be stubborn, a blushing disheveled mess in his hands as she yanked herself out of his grasp.

"That's enough!" She gasped, her body shaking as she attempted to fight the delicious aftershocks still coursing through her veins. With her chest heaving from exertion, Elena stood on wobbly legs to ungraciously yank her panties back up to their rightful place.

This had gone far enough. Anymore and she'd truly start to become attached or at least addicted to the way he treated her physically and that would spell nothing but trouble for her.

The sound of Dio's deep chuckle behind her made Elena feel childish as she turned to look at him before darting her eyes around the lounge to locate her misplaced shawl, suddenly feeling very exposed.

"Perhaps I got a bit carried away, I take it you're satisfied then?" He asked.

"Wh-What the hell was that? What was the point of all that?"

Dio took a pause as he rose up from the couch to swiftly pull a handkerchief from his back pocket. Then settling himself back down again he began to wipe the hand that had previously been nestled between her thighs, the gesture making Elena avert her attention from him.

"Testing of stamina is something most people look for when investigating a potential partner do they not?"

"But we're not…I mean-" Elena turned away from him, obviously exasperated as she journeyed forward a few steps, attempting to assemble her thoughts. This whole encounter had her mind whirling and with her emotions still so charged from earlier it was starting to become even harder for her to focus.

He didn't outright say he wanted _her_ as a partner, right? It would be silly to assume such a thing as it appeared he was just scoping her out but something about the way he said it made it fall flat. Was this just some roundabout way of saying he needed an on call fuck buddy? Didn't he have enough of those?

"No, this whole thing just doesn't make sense. I already told you how I felt so why are you..."

"Various reasons, but to put it simply, I understand you to be…unique." Dio explained, not in the least perturbed at Elena's inability to understand his motives.

She laughed, a sound devoid of joy, cold and untrusting.

"And that's a good enough reason to keep pursuing me, despite everything? Because you think I'm different?" Elena shook her head still refusing to face him, this felt like a very cheesy one-liner to rope an idiotic teenager to bed.

She supposed he'd say she was 'the only one for him' next.

"Enlighten me Elena, you've stated that you refuse me out of the interest of not being burdened by a committed relationship or by a one time encounter. Do you possess a fear of emotional or perhaps even physical attachment or is this avoidance simply…personal choice?"

Elena froze where she stood, thawing out just enough to turn her head slowly towards Dio whom was poised leisurely at the couch, his handkerchief missing from his person.

That certainly was unexpected.

Airing on the side of caution Elena allowed herself a moment to process his words, wondering if she should humor him with an answer.

It shouldn't have been a surprise that someone of interest would figure out her true reasons for refusal, after all, she had made her stance quite obvious, but to throw out his suspicions so boldly in conversation? Dio was most certainly daring, and his actions were proving to be something she could at least respect.

"Both." She said, moving forward to snatch her shawl that had been resting on the arm of the couch and hurriedly threw it around her shoulders.

"And you don't want to hear the story behind why; it'll bore someone like you." Elena explained before pulling her fingers through her white hair carefully to attempt to sort out the messier curls.

"And who are you to assume what I consider boring? After all, we are just starting to get to know each other." Dio said, showing off a pearly white smile with eerily prominent canines.

Briefly, she wondered if it was the shape of Dio's plump lips that made them appear longer than normal or if he suffered from an overbite. Truthfully they made him look wolfish, intimidating even, and it left her to ponder if he didn't fix it because it suited his image of an unrelenting business man or hardened boss.

Wringing her hands Elena found herself settling back down on the couch once more, this time sitting more towards the edge of the seat, making a point to put a healthy distance between them.

"You're persistent, I'll give you that." Elena said before looking down at her intertwined fingers, bracing herself for a somewhat rehearsed response.

"Honestly, I dislike…romantic relations, they're superficial and meaningless. The reason I view it that way is because someone did me wrong a long time ago and I suppose after I ended up in a bad place in life due to that, I never wanted to be exposed to it again. So that's why I'm actively trying to avoid people like…well, to put it plainly, people like you."

Dio listened; his eyes focused intently on the woman next to him before she sighed.

"Men like you are dangerous and addictive to people like me. You're incredibly hard to refuse for one reason or another. I-"

"And yet you are able to." Dio interrupted, seemingly intrigued by her last statement. As if it was surprising to him, which Elena supposed it must be.

Women often flocked to men like Dio. A man that is both single and successful usually carries a fat wallet with the freedom to spend cash on useless things, and in Dio's case, a gold digger would also obtain a well-spoken and decorative piece of arm candy.

"I don't think I'm doing that good of a job with it, but I might have had some practice since I was involved with someone similar to you in the past, though he nearly killed me." Elena explained, her voice turning sour at the end as she crushed her hands tightly together, her jaw clenching with old anger.

"So you remain dismissive of my interest due to your apprehension of being destroyed by me?" Dio asked, and Elena couldn't help but notice a trace amount of amusement in his voice.

Try as she might she couldn't find anything she was saying to be funny.

"Correct." Elena replied.

"Well, if you choose to accept me, I can guarantee you won't be physically harmed. Unless, of course, you wished it of me." Dio said, his voice light, perhaps even flirtatious as Elena met his eyes.

She didn't quite understand what he meant by that, at least not fully, but from the way he was looking at her Elena could almost believe him.

Still…

"Words are cheap." Elena said, returning her attention to her hands resting in her lap. Physical harm was only one of the things she allowed herself to worry about, the emotional payout of getting involved however, worried her more.

"Then allow me the honor to provide indisputable proof, hm?"

Elena shook her head, her patience starting to become exhausted as frustration began to build inside her.

"What would be the point, Dio?" She huffed.

"I mean this kind of thing isn't just about physically hurting me, there are emotional ties that come with engaging in something like this too. Say I leave with you right now, you make time for me for a few nights and then I come to find out during some business related soiree you've been providing the same things to other women? You'll just get to continue on with your life as if nothing ever happened between us and that'll leave me to carry the scars of whatever… _this-"_

Elena gestured between the both of them.

"Is. I'll get nothing out of it."

Love, lust, trust, emotional dependency, all of them were just cards in a bad hand of poker to Elena, whether such assets were folded, raised or even bet upon in a relationship was controlled solely by the player. The only catch to it was you could never see how much the other player was betting on similar cards in any given situation.

Elena had learned the game well despite her losses, how often she had bet all her chips on something like a prepaid romantic dinner only to be stood up and lose all her investment to a better hand according to the other player's standard.

And with an opponent like Dio it made Elena feel less than confident in her skills at handling such shitty cards.

"Let me propose this then. In exchange for your decision to be by my side, I will give to you an invested relationship unlike what you've received in the past, to which I will provide you with whatever you need." Dio countered, folding one leg over the other as he rested his joined hands neatly within his own lap.

Elena scoffed. Just how had the conversation reverted to this?

It sounded as if he was offering her a partnered business deal rather than a relationship. If he thought she could be won over with something as simple as looks or promises of riches like some kind of sugar baby he was sorely mistaken.

"I think your misunderstanding me; I don't want or need something like that, I don't want any of your money." Elena said.

"You are not listening Elena, indeed I've said that this would be an _invested_ relationship but that is not limited to wealth. If you desire something a bit more intimate, such as devotion, all you'd have to do is wish it of me and it is yours." He explained and Elena felt her face begin to heat involuntarily at the way her name slid off his tongue.

"I would also ensure your safety as you've made clear that that is a concern of yours. Linked with my influence I'd also be able to prevent similar situations like that of which you've experienced at the bar tonight." Dio continued and Elena felt herself perk up at the possibility of such a promise.

"It would do well for both of us to not have the past haunt you in plain sight after all."

Elena felt her body begin to relax, the gears in her head turning as she attempted to quickly analyze Dio's proposal. Never having to worry about Bon approaching her again sounded like a dream come true, and it seemed like a feasible if not downright capable promise for Dio to make and uphold. The more Elena considered it the more desirable this whole thing was beginning to sound.

She'd get what she wanted on that end at least, the possibility of getting Olani off her back was also likely, and if Dio remained true to his word she'd get the promise of emotional stability but...doubt still swirled within her.

"I want to believe you Dio, but this is a lot to promise to someone you don't even know all that well. To go to such lengths and require so little of me…I'm sure the capability to go through with this is genuine but don't take offense if I do not fully trust your intentions."

Dio smirked, more pleased than upset with her response.

"My dear, I would find it worrisome if you did."


	9. Chapter 9

_**A/N: Omfg guys! Freakxwannaxbe on tumblr made me yet another amazing piece of BEAUTIFUL ART for this story! I could gush for days about how much I ADORE IT but you guys really should check it out over on her tumblr or my tag list for this story**_ _ **and show her all the love, reblog the poop out of all her stellar art and show her some support because she makes seriously amazing things all the time and I'm always over the moon whenever she does a piece for me and this story!**_

 _ **Happy reading!**_

Elena's blue eyes flickered over to a pair of yellow ones that had been staring her down from across the dance floor.

She felt oddly smug that Bon had been observing her ever since she had exited the longue with Dio, the heat of his gaze practically insufferable from its intensity, as she found herself curiously unaffected.

Perhaps it was due to Dio's intimidating stature or even his earlier 'test of stamina' that left her mind calm as she no longer felt plagued by unpleasant ruminations or terrifying visions of letting Bon sink his manipulative claws into her again.

Either way, it felt like he was upholding his previous promise of safety if the heavy hand planted on her lower back was anything to go by, the weight of it making her feel secure as he guided her through a wave of half-drunk bodies.

"I should pick up some drinks from Steven again, Olani is probably wondering where I ran off too." Elena practically shouted, raising her voice in an effort to be heard over the thumping music as she fumbled with her purse in an attempt to check her phone for the time.

Pulling the device out, she swiped a finger over the screen only to find that it had turned off, the glass remaining a dark black as if it were dead.

Confused, Elena attempted to press the side buttons in hopes of turning it on only to see a red, flashing battery sign appear.

Her brow furrowed in confusion as she tucked it back into her purse, she could have sworn she charged it before leaving the apartment, but proceeded to shove the thought to the back of her mind as she discreetly scoured the club for any kind of clock, only to turn up empty.

She had no idea how long she had been in Dio's lounge discussing their initial agreement to test the waters of their compatibility; however, she did know that it must have been well over an hour, and while she had initially intended for her bar visit to be lengthy she hadn't planned to ditch Olani.

"Already taken care of, Steven delivered the ones you ordered when I came to collect you. I also made it clear that your friends be relocated in hopes of making up for your absence." Dio explained before veering Elena to the side, cutting her off from the bar in order to start guiding her up a spiral staircase reminiscent of a fire escape.

Elena felt surprise at the news, how Dio had conveyed the message to Steven to take care of such things without her notice was beyond her but she also didn't feel the need to question it.

After all, she hadn't retained much of what had been said at the bar after Dio had arrived, her attention had been focused on Bon and she didn't want to have to explain the embarrassment of how little she had bothered to pay attention to anything else.

Carefully climbing the staircase in an effort to not get her heels stuck in the holes covering it, Elena reluctantly put her hand along the thick pillar that the stairs were wrapped around in hopes of keeping herself steady.

"Oh…well, thank you for doing that; I just hope that whatever your bribe was, works." Elena said and Dio simply smiled at her comment, the corner of his mouth twitching up in a way that made him look devious, making her wonder what exactly he had done to make him feel so confident.

Elena knew that Olani was partial to pretty baubles and free upgrades so she was sure that Dio could have whisked her and Cinder into a nicer set up than the booths with a ticket for free alcohol to automatically win them over yet, she wasn't so sure that it would be enough.

Dio could have given Olani the most plush leather seats and all the sparkling champagne in the world and it still might not make up for the fact that Elena had pretty much ghosted her for a good chunk of the evening, even if it had been against her will.

All she could really hope for was that she hadn't been gone for as long as she thought she had been and that Dio's generosity would be enough to ensure that her friends had not felt abandoned while he took her time for himself.

Starting to feel to wound up in her nerves, Elena proceed to take a deep breath, allowing herself a moment to relax as she took the final step up the stairs, her attention immediately captured by a various number of plants decorating the top floor of Midnight Rain.

Small, exotic trees she didn't know the name of and incredibly strange looking flowers that made her feel like she had been transported to an amazon rainforest were strewn about everywhere, encased in glass as a manmade vapor seeped into the cases, creating a fascinating ghostly atmosphere.

Dio ushered her forward as she scanned the surrounding area, admiring the soft pink lights shining down upon charcoal furniture, various loveseats and recliners elegantly sewn with patches of purple leather as several heavy lidded suitcoats and blushing lavish dresses spread themselves along them.

A woman's laughter was heard as they passed by a semi-secluded room that spread out into a luxurious lounge, tall windows surrounding the majority of the room as it peered out into the darkened city, briefly catching Elena's notice.

A gaggle of well dressed women were tucked around a singular man as he drunkenly tipped a bottle of amber liquid to his lips, eliciting a well-timed chuckle from one of his entertainers as she ran a hand down his chest just before a bill was slipped discreetly into one of her chunky bracelets.

Elena quickly averted her eyes, a chill racing up her spine as she tucked her shawl closer around her shoulders as soft sighs and false giggles touched her ears again, enhanced by the man's boorish laughter.

It had been a long time since she had seen a school of piranhas enacting their craft and she felt bile begin to swirl uneasily within her stomach in disgust of it.

It repulsed her that she knew exactly what technique that woman had used, it was an advanced trick, one that she had learned to perfect in order to obtain decent meals or gas up her car. It was also more effective the more women there were, how willing the target was to be touched, and if there was a Payout Girl.

Women like Elena were commonly known as Feeders, quietly eating up whatever the target had on him before he took a rotating Payout Girl for an evening quickie, not realizing they'd been preparing a fertile trap for him, intent on the Payout securing themselves a cushy lifestyle through an illegitimate child.

Unwelcome memories flashed across Elena's mind as she recalled being bent over a counter in some Podunk biker bar with fresh bruises and a massive hangover as she stressed between finding a new mark or ordering food, only to have a beautiful blonde woman, whom she'd come to know as Madam Feelgood, approach her.

The Madam was all fake furs and feathers but held a degree of class as she offered to pay for Elena's meal, only asking that she may poke and prod her for some of the details of her background in return.

It had been a long conversation, one that extended past the initial meal, two desert orders and a cup of coffee before she promptly offered Elena a job, requesting that she learn and work the trade of a prostitute so that she could hire her for her brothel.

Elena could recollect how blunt Madam Feelgood had been about it too, she was honest about her working requirements, what conditions needed to be met and what would be expected of her before leaving her to mull it over for a few days.

At first, she rejected the very thought of having to prostitute under someone, much less inside of a brothel where any man could select her out of many. She had felt that she was doing well enough on her own despite the few incidents she had encountered with her more unstable clients.

Then, an evening came when she realized she needed the protection of something more than just a pocket knife in her back pocket.

The face of the nameless man who changed the outcome of her life flashed through the forefront of Elena's mind as she briefly remembered the weight of the two snakes he had wrapped around her shoulders.

He had promised profusely that his beloved pets no longer possessed fangs and that he would pay triple her rate if she would accept his odd snakeskin fetish before she had reluctantly but foolishly accepted.

Unfortunately, a single, miscalculated bite was all it took to end things.

He died that night, leaving Elena flat broke and with memories she'd rather forget, before she turned to the only other option available to her which was where she remained till she scraped her way back to the spot she was in now.

Elena shivered as she pulled herself out of the brief memory, refocusing her attention to her environment as she became aware of Dio's hand venturing to grip her waist to shift her closer just as a server whisked past.

Then Dio stopped, halting Elena from venturing down a painting clad hallway just as Steven exited a room located in front of them, the bartender's face lighting up upon seeing their arrival.

"Good evening, Mr. Brando, Miss Madonna…" he said before bowing his head politely in turn to each of them, making Elena feel a bit uncomfortable to be greeted so formally.

"How have our guests taken to the new arrangements?" Dio asked, retracting his hand from Elena's waist so that he could cross his arms, only to have Steven nod enthusiastically, perhaps more than was necessary.

"I'm pleased to inform that they've been very appreciative of your generous upgrade to the moonlight lounge, sir. Although one of our esteemed guests has been requesting Miss Madonna's presence quite fervently for the past half hour." Steven enlightened, his face betraying a look of uneasiness as he looked back towards the room he had just come from.

"Rest assured their request has been heard." Dio replied patting Steven's shoulder briefly, as he began to walk past him, before he bent to whisper something Elena couldn't quite overhear which in turn made the man visibly stiffen before he quickly excused himself.

Curiosity bubbled inside Elena over the odd exchange but held her tongue in place as she ventured into the next room only to let out an internal sigh of relief at the sight of Olani tossing a stray olive towards Cinder's mouth.

The green fruit bounced off the bottom of his lip before he caught it within his hand, pitching it into his mouth as Olani began to giggle, a little too loudly, while a redheaded girl that Elena didn't recognize, pulled a knotted cherry stick out of her mouth in a show of triumph.

"Sorry I'm late," Elena started, drawing attention to her arrival as she quickly stepped into the room, making all heads turn in her direction.

"Oh, Elena! We we're starting to wonder if you'd be able to find us but girl, you'll never believe it, we were upgraded by-" Olani quickly cut herself off as she caught sight of Dio whom had stepped forward to join Elena, snaking an arm around her to rest a hand on her hip.

Olani's green eyes swiftly darted back to Elena in question before her expression gradually shifted to the slyest Elena had ever seen it, making her groan internally.

There was no way she wasn't going to be thoroughly interrogated the next time Olani had her alone, she could almost hear her friend screaming 'I told you so' just from her gaze alone.

"Right, sorry I was gone for so long. I ran into Dio and…well, he was kind enough to give you a birthday upgrade on my behalf." Elena said, her voice nonchalant.

"I trust it's been to your liking?" Dio asked, his voice coming out so incredibly smooth that Elena was certain that every woman in the room must have shivered.

"Oh, definitely, it's really incredible, thank you." Olani replied, a little caught off guard as a faint blush dusted her cheeks.

Clearing her throat nervously, Olani turned her head just before her eyes widened in surprise at the red haired woman next to her whom had begun to stand up in order to smooth out her dress.

With slinky motions, the woman maneuvered to a tall bar top just to the left of them, as she surveyed several frost-tinted glasses brimming with an array of colorful alcohol before plucking one out for herself.

"How fascinating, it's been so long since the last time I saw you Elena I almost didn't recognize you, I gotta say it's nice to see you doing so well for yourself." The woman began, her voice sultry as she stirred the misty drink now resting in her hand before taking a sip, making Elena start at the peculiar words, unprepared by the address.

"And, here I was all worried you'd still be a hot mess."

"Um, I'm sorry but…who are you?" Elena asked, her tone uncertain as the woman offered her a hard smile, her dark blue eyes darkening in a way that made Elena's insides shrink with apprehension.

"That's quite a surprise. Surely, you remember me? If not my face then do you recognize the name Molly?" She questioned, tilting her head to the side as she crossed her long legs, the edge of her navy dress skimming across milk white legs.

Elena studied her for a moment, flitting through her memories of her time at the brothel and the many girls there as well as what little she could remember of those she sat next to in college, yet she still didn't recognize this Molly girl's face.

"I'm sorry, I'm afraid I don't. Your face doesn't look familiar to me." Elena replied politely, shaking her head briefly as she watched Molly run a hand through her red hair in frustration before setting down her drink.

"I suppose that's alright. All that really matters is that you know who I am _now_ , and who knows maybe your memory will jump-start in the next couple of seconds." Molly said just as Olani randomly stood up from her spot on the couch, yawning loudly as she stretched in an extravagant manner, garnering everyone's attention.

"Come on, Molly, can't we save all that stuff for later? There will be other times and it's starting to get a bit late." Olani groaned, though a warning was evident in her voice as Molly shifted her gaze back to her drink as if she was genuinely considering Olani's words.

Already Elena was starting to feel an odd slithering feeling move throughout her veins, a slow uncertainty that was starting to make her feel more and more uncomfortable the longer Molly remained in her line of sight.

She couldn't understand why, but whatever it was that this mysterious woman wanted to say, Elena wanted to hear it now.

"Just let her say what she has too." Elena pressed and a grim look crossed Olani's face, opening her mouth as if she wanted to say something then promptly snapped it shut before nodding, returning to her seat on the couch before knocking back a shot that had been resting on a nearby table.

"Alright, let's get on to brass tacks then, since you don't remember me I'll try to make this as easy to understand as possible." Molly assured and Elena nodded, a little put off that her expression had turned serious.

"You and I share a common interest, that interest being my husband."

 _ **A/N: Oh man, this chapter was originally TWICE as long but I didn't want to put up an incredibly long chapter stuffed with so much info after such a long break in-between this chapter and the last…or extend my editing time by another week! (I'm attempting to get grammarly so there won't be as many grammar mistakes….hopefully this wasn't too much of a mess to read.) So I broke it up to make this a little bit easier to digest for you guys and give me a decent head start on the next upcoming chapter ;D So let me know what you think thusfar and I hope you enjoyed it!**_


	10. Chapter 10

_**A/N: Oi, sorry it's taken me so long to update! Work stress has been making it difficult to write lately so I feel a little out of practice (needless to say there's some insecurities about this chapter) but I just wanted to say thank you for reading and supporting this story! Even through all my sporadic updates, you guys are awesome and I hope you enjoy the latest installment!**_

"Oh, you look lost Elena, I suppose I should rephrase that. I'm talking about my current husband, Bon. Just imagine my surprise when I found out you two were once together, amazing isn't it?"

The silence in the room following that comment was practically deafening to Elena as color seemed to drain from every extravagant corner of the room.

That sentence alone was flustering enough as she attempted to understand what exactly she had just heard only to realize that the conversation had steadily progressed without her input.

"You don't know, Olani? Elena and I go way back, but I'll save all those details for my next hair appointment. Now, where was I? Oh yes, I wanted to talk to you about my Bon." Molly continued before readjusting herself, recrossing her legs as she proceeded to pluck at the neck of her drinking glass with delicate fingers.

"As I'm sure you can understand, seeing pretty girls, especially old flames talk to him can get me embarrassingly jealous so I dropped by to politely request that you refrain from approaching him anymore." She said, the sugar coated words snapping off the tip of her tongue expertly before taking a sip of her drink.

It was beginning to feel much too warm in the room for Elena now, pins and needles pricking her flesh as static sparked within her veins.

Her vision tilted dangerously as she tried to rein it in, her senses dimming dramatically as a cascade of faces threatened to overwhelm her mind.

She took a breath, attempting to clear the clutter as a million thoughts bombarded her until realization suddenly hit her like a ton of bricks.

Molly…she was…

Elena jolted as a flash of memory forced itself upon her.

There was a plethora of women, too many for Elena to really keep track of that were squealing in tangles of white sheets as their bare asses sprinted out of her apartment.

All except for one, a brunette, who simply smiled as she ran her tongue down Bon's neck right in front of her, not the least bit perturbed that their romp had been interrupted by an intrusive girlfriend.

"Care to join us?" she asked and Elena felt the trigger of those words spike her emotions, twisting the blade of grief and disgust as she was violently ripped back to the present.

Sweat covered Elena's forehead in a soft sheen as she quickly tried to get her bearings, trying her best to look better than she felt by locking eyes with the woman named Molly.

It was obvious now, though their hair color was drastically different, Elena couldn't deny that Molly shared the exact same face with the burnette in her memories.

But…he _married_ her?

Elena flitted her gaze away, attempting to steel herself in her now weakened state as she silently cursed Bon to hell over and over again.

"So that's why you're here." Elena paused, trying her best to keep her voice even and indifferent as she leaned to the side, putting on a show of acting dependent on Dio's hold on her all the while praying that he would not call attention to the fact that she was beginning to tremble.

"I think I'm beginning to remember you now."

"Excellent, then I'm sure you can understand why I don't want such a pretty girl to sink her teeth into my man, even accidentally." Molly said, her words hollow now as she smiled pleasantly, an unsettling feeling beginning to saturate the room.

Elena wanted to scoff, this entire situation was starting to become laughable at best, insulting at worst.

Just how many shitty hands did fate have in store for her tonight?

This proposal, intentional or not, felt more like a slap in the face, backhanded with bejeweled fingers rather than a genuine request.

For better or worse, Molly was the woman who had readily snatched Bon away from her all that time ago, now she was here unapologetically reopening the scar Elena had spent _years_ stitching up herself.

The absolute gall she possessed in approaching her and asking her, of all people, to keep away from her husband as if she, herself, wasn't a key component in the machine of his infidelity.

Elena attempted to calm herself all the while trying to keep in mind that getting ugly about it would benefit no one, least of all herself, yet her thoughts only continued to twist in malice and hurt as it sought out the mental image of Bon.

Dark and handsome was the man who never wanted to promise anything much less propose, such was the man who only ever found comfort in minimal effort and yet now, his wife stood before her, not to ask for forgiveness but to ask for her not to interfere with their happiness.

Elena opened her mouth, not entirely certain of what she would even begin to say, when Olani spoke up.

"Molly, I told you before that those two haven't seen each other in over three years, is it really necessary to-"

Molly held up a hand, silencing Olani as her blue eyes met Elena's, her smile swiftly fading to a more serious expression.

"I think it is."

"Well, you can most certainly put your mind at ease then, Molly. Elena belongs solely to me; she simply doesn't have time for the likes of your husband." Dio assured, his words making Elena's heart skip a beat as her thoughts flat lined, her eyes widening in surprise though she did not dare look at him, lest his words sound unconvincing in an effort to diffuse the situation.

Molly's face flushed briefly for a moment, as if she did not expect Dio to suddenly defend Elena in so possessive a manner before she chanced a glance over at Olani who looked just as shocked before quickly attempting to hide her expression.

"Weren't you just telling me that Elena was single?" Molly accused, her eyes narrowing in suspicion as Olani suddenly began to laugh, the sound bursting out of her like a rogue firework.

"Oh my _god,_ I can't believe Mr. Brando slipped my mind. Yes! They've been a pair for a little while but, _GOD,_ I really should call it a night with the alcohol, its making me so forgetful." Olani laughed before standing up to sway comically before depositing herself promptly into Cinder's lap who grunted in mild protest.

"You wound me madam, how heartless of you to forget someone such as me." Dio smirked, and Elena risked a glance towards him, his expression looking suitably amused though his eyes seemed to withhold something quite the opposite.

"I know, especially after all the gifts he's given you today." Cinder added, making Olani giggle even more as she fanned her now flushed face, as if she truly felt embarrassed.

"Well, I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me Mr. Brando, my mind gets foggy on all this delicious birthday champagne. But you really should stop spoiling us and focus more on that pretty white thing next to you." Olani countered, delivering an apology while single handedly making Elena wish she could disappear from this situation entirely.

This whole evening was turning into such a mess.

"Of course. However, judging by your condition I believe it's time I organized a cab to ensure you have a safe journey home." Dio replied, expertly playing up the scenario as he gave Elena's waist a gentle squeeze.

"Thank you," Elena whispered, and Dio answered her with another squeeze before swiftly excusing himself from the room.

Whether he was actually going to call a cab or not, she didn't know but she was grateful that he could read the situation well enough to remove himself.

Without Dio's domineering presence, she felt less inclined to hold her tongue.

"Sorry that you wasted your time coming here, Molly, but as you can see you've nothing to worry about." Elena said, crossing her arms over her chest.

Molly coughed for a moment, still recovering from her humiliation as she shot a minimal glare in Olani's direction before turning her unconvinced gaze back onto Elena.

"Right, I had no idea that you had already-well…I apologize if I've made your evening uncomfortable," Molly said, bowing her head briefly towards Elena before she returned her attention back to Olani.

"We'll have to catch up sometime soon Olani, I really do need to get going. Don't want to leave Bon for too long, otherwise he's prone to make trouble." Molly continued as Olani nodded, spreading her arms wide to offer her friend a hug in farewell.

Elena fought the urge to roll her eyes at Molly's words, instead she made herself inconspicuous as she lingered by the doorway of the room, anxious for her to take her leave as she watched the woman flit across the room to collect her things.

The sooner she was out of Elena's sight, the faster she could forget this entire exchange even happened.

Elena drew her gaze upward just as Molly began to approach the exit, flipping her red hair over her shoulder before offering a tight smile.

"You know Elena, for what it's worth, it was good to see you again," Molly offered, an obvious lie as it slipped between her honeyed lips.

"I wish I could say the same." Elena replied, her tone cold as she took a step backwards to lean against the door frame.

Molly nodded in understanding, refusing to be put off by Elena's clipped words as her tightened smile began to widen.

Uncomfortable with the way Molly was looking at her, Elena began to turn her head, not wishing to exchange any more awkward conversation only to find herself jolting in surprise, almost losing her balance.

A bright red hand, the color of rusted metal had rushed towards her, aiming for her throat as a ghostly black arm sprouted out of her chest to halt the opposing hand.

Shock zapped Elena's adrenaline into overtime as she darted her eyes back toward Molly, who's face looked like it was about to split from the horrendous grin upon it.

"My, my…what a well kept secret." Molly mused quietly just as both arms dissipated as swiftly as they had appeared.

Elena swallowed thickly as sweat dripped down her cheek, only allowing herself a swift glance towards Olani who was facing away from them, locked in a conversation with Cinder and blissfully unaware of what had just occurred.

At least she had that going for her.

"I must say, I never expected someone like you to also have a stand. What a small world." Molly said, her voice sickeningly sweet as Elena grit her teeth before her eyes widened in horror.

Hovering just above Molly was the phantom image of a large cream-colored woman, her slitted yellow eyes narrowed right in the middle of a white spotted and grotesquely red and bulbous head.

Its unwelcome gaze raked Elena up and down, making her heart beat rapidly like that of a war drum before the monstrosity quickly faded away into Molly's backside.

"You need to leave." Elena warned, her voice hoarse as she fought the incoming panic coursing through her veins.

"Ugh, how dissatisfying, and here I thought you'd welcome the opportunity to show off your stand. It's good sportsmanship after all." Molly griped, disappointment evident in her tone as her grin began to fade into a frown.

"My stand doesn't concern you." Elena said firmly, stepping away from her support frame and farther into the room in hopes of distancing herself from any further attacks.

Molly giggled.

"Bon was so wrong about you. I don't know where he ever got the idea that you're a pushover. Well, I guess that doesn't matter now, I think I've ruffled your feathers enough for one evening, so do try to make the most of the rest of it, Elena."

Then without any further prompting, Molly turned on her heel and exited the room, her red curls bouncing as she turned the corner.

It took everything in Elena to keep from falling to the floor, thoroughly overwhelmed by what had just transpired as she reached up to clutch at the fabric of her shawl gathered along her chest.

She had been careless, unthinkingly calling it out like that, even if it had been out of fear of being hit.

No one was supposed to know.

No one.

And what was worse, was that Molly possessed one as well and she _knew._

Consumed with frustration, Elena hardly noticed Dio renter the room, nearly jumping out of her skin when he brushed her hair to the side to garner her attention.

Elena quickly wiped the sweat from her forehead, as she turned to greet him, soothing out her dress in nervousness before looking up at him.

"Ah, you're back." She smiled.

"I take it your interrogator has excused herself for the evening?" Dio asked, watching as Elena attempted to pull the obvious wrinkles out of her shawl.

"She did, and to be honest I'd like to do the same." Elena said, turning her head to the side in mild agitation.

"Perhaps it's for the best that we take our leave as well then. Come, I shall escort you home." Dio said, allowing his hand to roam from her shoulder to her back, immediately making Elena's muscles relax in relief.

"What about them?" Elena asked, tossing her head in the direction of Olani and Cinder whom seemed to be stuck in their own conversation.

As much as Elena wanted to get out of the Midnight Rain and put as much distance between herself and Molly as possible, she felt it ill advised to leave the pair alone…again.

"They'll be taken care of." Dio reassured, turning Elena towards the doorway, encouraging her to move forward only to have her stop halfway.

"If that's the case then…would you mind if I asked you a favor?" she asked, perhaps a bit too earnestly as Dio eyed her curiously.

"Would you mind taking me the long way home?"


End file.
